Five years Later
by harrypotterlover2242
Summary: Five years after the war, Hermione is now 24 years of age, and finds herself at a bar in London, stood up, and alone, what will happen when a familiar face walks in, and tries to chat her up?
1. chapter 1

**_Chapter one_**

 ** _Getting reacquainted._**

 _One night in late summer,_

 _Hermione finds herself at a bar in london_. _sitting up at the bar all alone, dressed in a short bright red spagetti strapped, heartlined pencil dress, covered with lace, with matching red stiletto heels._

 _Her hair fell in graceful curls down her back, elegantly, as she stirred her drink, with a dreary exspression, not having touched it at all._

 _"Why does this always happen to me?", She thought._

 _She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door swing open, nor did she hear the footsteps of a man that walked up behind her, a moment later._

 _"Well well...if it isn't..Miss Hermione Granger", said a familiar deep, sarcastic voice._

 _Hermione whipped around in surprise. "Professor Snape...what are you doing here?", she asked, still quite startled._

 _Severus was entranced by her beauty, admiring her red lips as she spoke, and the way her chocolate brown eyes radiated, she had changed since he last saw her, right after the war._

 _"Bar hopping", he joked._

 _Hermione chortled. "You look great", she complemented._

 _Studying his muggle attire, of black pants, and a navy blue button up shirt, topped off with a black leather jacket, and for once his hair shined._

 _"Muggle clothes suit you", Hermione quirked, amusingly, as Severus chuckled._

 _"So..what are you..doing here all alone?", Severus asked, curiously, before he motioned to the seat next to hers, silently asking if he could join her._

 _Hermione nodded, as he sat down._ _"I um...was suppose to be here on a date...but was unfortunatley..stood up", Hermione replied, bitterly, chewing her lip._

 _Severus frowned, "Bloody..fool", he mumbled._

 _"Ya...I'm kinda use to it", Hermione murmered, sticking some hair behind her ear._

 _"Well...You shouldn't be...your a gourgeous women", Severus let slip, realizing his words, when she blushed, looking away._

 _"My..apologies...I didn't mean", Severus started hastily, before Hermione cut him off._

 _"No...it's okay", Hermione said, scratching a spot behind her ear, nervously._

 _"Do you mind..if I buy a drink?", He asked, uneasily._

 _"No...go for it...don't let me stop you", Hermione answered, with a small reassuring smile._

 _Severus nodded, thankfully, signaling to the bartender._

 _"Two burbens..please", Severus ordered, holding up to fingers, as Hermione eyed him quizzically, when the bartender started their drinks._

 _"I..ordered one for you...because that martini..looks like it isn't doing you much good", He smirked, eyeing her untouched drink._

 _Hermione pursed her lips, to restrain the witty comeback on her tongue, from slipping out._

 _Shaking her head instead, amusingly, as the bartender walked over, and handed them their drinks._

 _"Thank You", Hermione said, kindly to the bartender._

 _"Thank You", She said, again, turning to Severus._

 _"Your welcome", He said, warmly, taking a quick swig of his drink, barely wincing at the burning sensation running down his throat, as Hermione sipped hers, wincing every now and then._

 _xxx_

 _"Wow...you're a..a..th..tough one", Severus slurred, after they both have had a few drinks, pointing at her over the glass in his hand._

 _"Well...then You must have been..half drunk..when you got here", Hermione remarked, wittily, with a smirk._

( ** _burn! lol_** )

" _To..Touche", Severus retorted, pointing at her, raising his eyebrow._

 _"Plus...I have a cousin who bartends...so I drink...occasionally", Hermione stated, shrugging her shoulders._

 _Severus studied her intently for a moment, "d..do you li..live in town?", He asked, curiously._

 _"Yes..I do..I have my own little flat..not far from here", Hermione responded, smugly._

 _"How..ni..nice", Severus said, raising his eyebrows._

 _"So..do you still teach..at Hogwarts?", Hermione asked, conversationally, flattening a wrinkle on her dress._

 _"Yes I..I..do", Severus said, slowly swirling around the liquid in his cup._

 _"Oh...wow", Hermione murmered._

 _"wh..what?", Severus asked, cautiously._

 _"Nothing...I'm just...impressed", Hermione uttered, softly._

 _"Wh..why?", Severus asked, questioningly, taking a swig of his drink._

 _"Well...to be honest..Severus...I didn't think you would continue teaching...after the castle was rebuilt", Hermione asserted truthfully._

 _"Neither..di..did I", Severus confessed, lowly, taking another swig of his drink._

 _"Why..did You go back?", Hermione inquired, eyeing him curiously._

 _"Most..w..ould bl..ame this..on the alco..hol", He smirked, setting his drink on the bar, then continued,_ _"I we..went..back..fo..for you", He slurred, looking deep into her eyes._

 _Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "What", she replied, gaping at him._

 _"I al..always..ho..hoped...that you..w..ould..come back to t..teach", Severus answered, thoughtfully._

 _"Then I..read..about your..job...at the..minis..try...very im..impressive..if I..mus..must say", Severus remarked._

 _"Are you being sarcastic?", Hermione asked, brusquely, knitting her eyebrows together._

 _"No..of course..no..not", Severus replied, derisively, twirling his glass around on the counter._

 _"I'm an assistant..to the fucking head..of the muggle department", Hermione hissed, exasperatedly._

 _"You're the one wh..who di..didn't come back", Severus scolded, furrowing his eyebrows, as Hermione gasped._

 _"Oh my God", Hermione whispered, covering her mouth with one hand, while she leaned on the counter with the other._

 _"Why didn't yo..you come back?", Severus asked, in a low voice._

 _"I can't do this..with you right now Severus", Hermione said, in one long breath._

 _"why not?", Severus glared._

 _"Because!", Hermione hissed, once again, getting up to stand directly in front of him._

 _"This isn't the right time...nor the right place for this", Hermione said, shaking her head, turning away from him to leave._

" _Hermione...wa..wait", Severus said, gruffly, as she stopped abruptly, when he walked up behind her._

 _"I'm not..done ta..talking", Severus stated, curtly._

 _Hermione scoffed. "Well..I am", she replied, coolly, turning her head to look at him, with hard eyes._

 _Severus raised his head, in anger._

 _"We have to ta..talk about th..this Hermio..ne", Severus declared, briskly._

 _"Not when you're slurring like that", Hermione asserted, disdainfully, "and not..when you're drunk..Severus", she added, shaking her head._

 _"Th..Then when", Severus huffed, in frustration._

 _Hermione sighed, wearily. "I don't know", she whispered, in dismay, turning away from him._

 _Severus remained silent for a few moments, but Hermione could swear she heard him grinding his teeth._

 _"I'm fi..finally ready to let my..my walls down...do..don't sh..shut me out", Severus finally spoke, in a low voice._

 _Hermione closed her eyes shut, hard in thought._

 _"When ca..can I..see you aga..again?", Severus asked, persistently._

 _Hermione turned around, and stared at him, blatantly, as his eyes pleaded with hers._

 _"Friday", Hermione sighed, agitatedly, "come around to my flat..around five-thirty...I'll send you the adress", Hermione continued, moving hair out of her face._

 _Now satisfied, Severus nodded._

 _Hermione bid Severus a quick goodbye, then turned on her heel, and stalked off._

 _Severus watched her go, noting the sound her high heels made every time they touched the floor, untill she was out of sight._

 _xxx_

 _Hermione walked all the way home, remaining impassive, she wanted nothing more, then to crawl into bed, and cry herself to sleep, which is exactly what she did._

 _Not even bothering to change, she kicked her shoes off, and fell into bed, and curled up in a ball in the sheets, and sobbed, till sleep took over her._

 ** _(okay they tried to be civil, but as you can see there was some hard feelings surfacing after some drinks, will they resolve it???)_**

 **(sorry if it was hard to read drunk Severus!)**

 ** _(But I hope you liked this first chapter, I fixed it up, so it's different then when i first wrote it.)_**

( ** _I_ _really appreciate reveiws, as long as they're supportive. I've thought about it and I don't need a beta. if you think so or don't like my writing, simply don't read it.)_**

 ** _(Thank you to everyone else who I hope will like this story, your good reveiws will make me want to write more!)_**

 ** _(To be continued...)_**


	2. Chapter Two

**_Girl talk._**

 _(Thursday.)_

 _The next day._

 _Hermione woke up early and sent a quick note to Ginny asking if she could come over as soon as possible, before she went into the bathroom to take a long hot shower to clear her mind._

 _An hour later she walked out of the bathroom and got dressed into a nice pair of light blue denim jeans and a bronze satin short-sleeved button up blouse._

 _She then waved her wand, and dried her hair. Then waved it again, creating fresh new curls that flowed loosely._

 _When she was finally satisfied with her appearance, she slipped on some black flats and then made her way to the kitchen to make some breakfeast._

 _After about another hour, Hermione was rummaging in her pantry looking for her tea bags to start boiling some water for tea, when suddenly there was a knock at her front door._

 _She quickly walked down the hall to the front door and opened it, revealing a sweet looking red head standing in the doorway._

 _Ginny Weasly, lately known as Ginny Potter, stood looking pretty as ever, with her long soft hair just reaching her elbows now, and bright blue eyes that matched her pale blue ruffled blouse, which looked stunning tucked into her pre ripped denim capris and light grey Vans slip on sneakers._

 _"Hello Ginny", Hermione greeted, giving her friend a quick hug before letting her in and shutting the door swiftly behind her to keep the cold air inside._

 _"Hey...I just got your letter..fifteen minutes ago...are you alright?", Ginny asked worriedly._

 _"You want some tea?...I was just about to make some", Hermione asked, turning away and walking back down the hall purposefully avoiding her question._

 _"Ah...sure", Ginny answered, awkwardly, slowly starting to follow Hermione into the kitchen._

 _"You know...you're starting to sound like hagrid..Hermione", Ginny remarked, concerned, dropping her purse to the floor as she pulled out a chair and sat at the table._

 _Hermione stayed silent, while she put the kettle on the stove to heat up. Then she grabbed two small tea cups, some sugar out of the cupboard and set them on the counter before turning around agitatedly._

 _"What's going on..Hermione?", Ginny asked anxiously when Hermione didn't say anything._

 _"Hermione", Ginny prompted softly after a few moments._

 _"You remember that date I told you about?...the one that I was suppose to have last night?", Hermione asked suddenly, leaning back against the counter._

 _"Oh yeah...how'd that go?", Ginny asked curiously._

 _"I was stood up", Hermione stated matter of factly, crossing her arms._

 _"Micheal stood you up again?", Ginny frowned in disbelief._

 _"Yes", Hermione replied coldly, nodding her head._

 _"Are you going to break up with him?", Ginny asked inquiringly, raising her eyebrows._

 _"Should I?", Hermione asked nonchalantly, just as the tea started to whistle._

 _"I would...I mean...he barely makes time for you...plus..he has no idea who you really are...you're hiding from him twenty four-seven", Ginny explained honestly._

 _"I know", Hermione sighed sadly as she pulled the kettle off the burner and carefully poured the hot water into the two cups before adding the sugar._

 _"I just...don't want to hurt him", Hermione added sheepishly, bringing the cups over and setting them on the table._

 _Ginny knitted her eyebrows together. "How would you..hurt..him?...he hurt you remember?", Ginny exclaimed in confusion, accepting the offered tea bag Hermione handed to her._

 _Hermione sighed agitatedly, staring into her cup, retreating back into silence, not saying a word._

 _"Hermione...what's wrong?", Ginny asked concerned, noting her friends sudden change of composure._

 _"When I went to the bar", Hermione started. Finally, deep in thought._

 _"Yeah?", Ginny prompted regarding her curiousity._

 _"Someone else...walked in...someone I never expected to see..ever again", Hermione continued groggily as last nights emotions started to surface again._

 _"Who was it?", Ginny asked with growing concern._

 _Hermione sat there with her mouth ajar, opening and closing it a few times before she finally found her voice._

 _"Severus Snape", Hermione murmured, closing her eyes to hold back tears._

 _Ginnys eyes widened. "What", Ginny exclaimed in shock._

 _"What the bloody hell was he doing there?", Ginny asked, furrowing her eyebrows._

 _"I don't know", Hermione said coldly, finally looking up at Ginny with the same hard look in her eyes as last night._

 _"Did he talk to you?", Ginny asked, narrowing her eyes furiously._

 _"Yes...we talked", Hermione replied, bitterly, nodding her head slowly._

 _"Oh my god...what'd he say?", Ginny inquired in repulsion._

 _Hermione huffed reluctantly._

 _"He told me he still teaches at Hogwarts...and that...he hoped that when the castle was finished I would have come back to teach", Hermione responded shakily, massaging her forhead._

 _"Why'd he even go back..in the first place?", Ginny asked, suspiciously._

 _Hermione squeezed her eyes shut while she sucked in a breath._

 _"Because of me", Hermione choked out._

 _"He blames all of this!..on me!", Hermione exclaimed, her voice cracking as she waved her arms quickly in a circle before wrapping them around herself._

 _Ginnys exspression turned from one of disgust and outrage, to sadness._

 _"I'm so sorry Hermione", Ginny murmured as Hermione couldn't hold back her tears anymore._

 _"Now...he wants to see me tomorrow", Hermione whimpered with a sniffle._

 _"Tomorrow? Where?", Ginny retorted briskly._

 _"Here", Hermione replied, hopelessly, running her hands through her hair._

 _"Unbelievable", Ginny uttered with a snort._

 _"I don't know what to do", Hermione responded, wiping the tears off her face._

 _"You give him a piece of your damn mind, that's what you do", Ginny asserted, scornfully._

 _Hermione sighed diligently. Biting her lip nervously as she gently rubbed the back of her neck._

 _"Wait you don't..still care for him do you?", Ginny wondered in sudden realization._

 _Hermione glanced up at her sheepishly before awkwardly shifting in her seat._

 _"Oh..my god Hermione", Ginny exclaimed as she gaped at Hermione._

 _"Stop..looking at me as if I belong in st mungo's", Hermione snapped, squirming uncomfortably._

 _"Sorry", Ginny blinked, shaking her head._

 _"So...are you gonna tell him?", Ginny asked eagerly, taking a sip of her tea._

 _"He already knows", Hermione stated patently, shaking her head._

 _"Do you think he still cares about you?", Ginny asked anxiously._

 _"He wouldn't of gotten drunk the minute he saw me..if he didn't", Hermione muttered curtly, sipping her tea._

 _"No...I guess not", Ginny murmured, raising her eyebrows as she took another sip of her tea._

 _The two women finished the rest of their tea in silence, before Hermione got up and started to make up some lunch._

 _Twenty-Five minutes later, she had dished up two plates filled with quick and easy butter garlic pasta, turkey sandwitches, and a side of salad, oh and butterbeer! :)_

 _"I'm so glad you didn't give everything up", Ginny smiled softly, as Hermione set the food and butterbeer on the table._

 _"Of course not...butterbeer was the only reason we'd walk to hogsmeade in the cold for", Hermione replied, laughing lightly in remembrance._

 _"Yeah, we'd be freezing cold...but we'd warm up instantly the second it ran down our throats", Ginny said, thoughtfully._

 _"All the way down to our toes", Hermione chimed in, as they both laughed._

 _xxx_

 _The two girls continued laughing and talking, just catching up. For the next couple of hours until the clock struck three._

 _"Oh my...look at the time", Ginny said, checking her watch._

 _"I'm sorry, I better be going Harry will be home from work soon...and I promised my mum I'd pick the kids up before four", Ginny added, apologetically._

 _Hermione shook her head. "No...no I completely understand", She smiled, warmly._

 _Ginny smiled greatfully at her. "Thank you for lunch, well done...you might even be as good as my mum", Ginny teased._

 _Hermione's eyes widened slightly in fear. "Oh god no...I don't want to start a rivalry with your mother", Hermione replied, scaredly, shaking her head._

 _"Yeah probably not a good idea", Ginny warned while laughing as Hermione got up to put the dishes in the sink._

 _"Here..let me help, it's the least I could do", Ginny offered, standing up._

 _"No..I got it", Hermione insisted benevolently, walking back over to her._

 _"Are you sure?", Ginny ensured, persistently._

 _"Yes", Hermione nodded, "let me walk you out", she added, smiling kindly at her._

 _"Alright", Ginny said, picking up her purse, and slinging it over her shoulder. Before she turned, and walked towards the door. Hermione following closely behind._

 _"Tell Harry..and the kids I said hello", Hermione said, sweetly, while opening the door, letting in the hot summer air._

 _"At least you..have an air conditioner", Ginny remarked, with a smirk._

 _"And..I will", Ginny added, giving Hermione a hug._

 _"Thank you", Hermione murmured, softly, as she hugged her back._

 _"They miss you", Ginny whispered, into her ear._

 _"We all do", Ginny added, sadly, finally letting her go._

 _"I know...I miss you all too", Hermione replied, ruefully._

 _"Come visit us soon...okay?", Ginny implied, earnestly, gently placing her hand on Hermione's shoulder._

 _Hermione smiled. "I will", she stated, solemnly._

 _Ginny nodded contentedly. Turning around, and walking out the door._

 _"Oh..and Hermione?", Ginny called, turning back around to face her._

 _"Yes?", Hermione answered, unexpectedly._

 _"Don't spend all night..worrying about what could happen tomorrow..okay...if he can't see..how great you are...he doesn't deserve you", Ginny remarked, sincerely, raising her eyebrow, knowingly._

 _Hermione regarded her admiringly. "Thank you", Hermione whispered, swiftly hugging her again._

 _"You're welcome", Ginny grinned, letting her go again, walking down the steps before Hermione stopped her._

 _"I really appreciate..you coming here today, I don't know what state of mind I'd be in tomorrowif you hadn't", Hermione said gratefully._

 _"No problem", Ginny replied sweetly before walking away to the side of a house across the street and waved slightly before apparating away with a pop._

 _After Ginny left Hermione went back inside and finished cleaning up the rest of her kitchen. After that, she spent the remainder of the afternoon curled up on the couch reading._

 _At seven-thirty, Hermione got up to cook herself dinner. Fourty minutes later she ate, did the dishes, went back to her room, and got out some parchment paper, and a quill, then sat down at her desk to write a letter to Severus. She wrote,_

 _ **Severus,**_

 _ **I've been thinking. Could you come sooner then discussed? say noon? I live**_

 _ **four blocks away from the bar, on Kent road, flat three fourty-seven. I can't keep making myself miserable. I'm done avoiding you.**_

 _ **Hermione.**_

 _After she reread it many times, she tied it to Shelly's leg, a multicolored great horned owl she had bought after the war._

 _Hermione quickly gave her a treat, then sent her off out the window and watched her till she was a speck in the sky._

 _Hermione took a deep breath then crawled into bed, feeling surprisingly confident for tomorrow._

 _ **( A/N: okay obviously something happened between Severus and Hermione. Be prepared, there might be some yelling.**_

 _ **I hoped you liked this chapter, sorry it wasn't the upcoming moment you were waiting for, but it's coming!**_

 _ **only nice reveiws please!, I get enough criticism from everyone else.)**_

 _ **(To be continued...)**_


	3. Chapter Three

**_Anger, Love, and Heartache._**

 _Late the next morning,_

 _Hermione woke up to a hard tapping at her window. She rolled out of bed and opened the window and a black and white great horned owl, with the brightest yellow eyes flew in and landed on the arm of her desk chair._ _It stuck out it's leg to her as she approuched it._

 _"Hello there", Hermione said softly as she untied the letter from his leg._

 _"You're such a pretty bird", Hermione added admiringly, giving him a little treat as she lightly stroked his face before he took off back out the window._

 _When Hermione finally opened the letter it only revealed three words,_

 ** _As you wish._**

 _Hermione stared at it for a minute before she stood up and set it on her desk,_ _then walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of plush velvet shorts and a white buttoned up blouse and got dressed._

 _She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows as she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she was done she put her hair up in a loose bun at the top of her head while she walked back into her room and slipped on her black flats before she made her way to her kitchen to start some tea._

 _By the time the tea was done it was two minutes to twelve o'clock._

 _Hermione was pulling two cups out of the cupboard when suddenly there was a loud tapping sound at her kitchen window._

 _"Ugh..Shelly! You scared me", Hermione exclaimed as she unlatched the window and Shelly hopped through. Ruffling her feathers while she chirped at her in response._

 _Five minutes later and there was still no sign of Severus._ _"Do you think he got lost?", Hermione uttered to Shelly, sipping her tea as Shelly chirped again._

 _But within a few seconds later, there was a sudden knock at her door. Hermione was taken aback for a moment before she came to_.

 _"Speak of the devil", Hermione whispered to Shelly as she walked out of the kitchen to answer the door._

 _When Hermione opened the door, there indeed stood Severus Snape._

 _Dressed in all black of course, black trousers, a black buttoned up shirt, and a blazer with bottons along his sleeves, just like his usual Hogwarts attire._

 _"Good afternoon Severus", Hermione greeted politely._

 _As soon as Hermione had opened that door Severus was struck with her beauty once again._

 _The way her hair sat delicately on top of her head, leaving a few strands down that caressed her face, and the way her collar bones stuck out of her blouse, which she had left partly open revealing some skin._

 _Plus the way her shirt was tucked into her shorts, outlining her petite form, made her long clean-limbed legs look absolutely stunning._

 _"She definitetly got some color this summer", Severus thought remarkably to himself._

 _"I trust..that you are not intoxicated", Hermione implied hopefully in a firm voice._

 _Severus sneered. "I am not", He asserted raising his eyebrow at her._

 _"Good, then please come in", Hermione reponded coolly, raising her chin higher into the air as she stood aside to let him in._

 _As soon as Severus stepped inside he was Immediately hit with a blast of cold air that swarmed her entire house._

 _"This way", Hermione stated firmly, shutting the door behind him._

 _Then she turned around and walked back down the hallway, then turned again leading him into her living room._

 _"Would you like some tea?", Hermione asked nicely, clasping her hands together in front of her._

 _"I didn't come here..for a tea party", Severus replied brusquely, raising his eyebrow at her again._

 _Hermione glared at him. "No, but you came here..so we can come to somewhat of an understanding", Hermione remarked bitterly, crossing her arms._

 _"An understanding, is that what you call this?", Severus retorted raising both his eyebrows._

 _Hermione rolled her eyes._

 _"Do you want some damn tea or not?", Hermione huffed briskly._

 _Severus bit his tongue to keep himself from biting back at her._

 _"Fine", Severus said gruffly, as Hermione nodded coldly, before walking away, giving Severus the chance to examin the room._

 _It was dainty, elegant, and cultivated. It had two charming little windows on opposite sides of the room, one being above a small tan leather couch and chair._

 _The other window sat directly across, next to a tall bookshelf which was placed next to another matching leather couch only a bit bigger, and a cute little coffee table sat right in front of it on a lovely old fashioned designer rug, and to top off the room there was a beautiful rock stoned fireplace with a wooden mantle between it all._

 _It was just then that when Hermione walked back into the room with a tea tray, Severus noticed the moving pictures on the wall behind her._

 _There was a Picture of the Golden trio when they were in their fourth year at Hogwarts, sitting by the black lake laughing while Harry and Ron threw grass at each other._

 _There was another picture, a group picture of everyone who survived the war._

 _Severus even spotted himself, standing in the back next to Albus Dumbledore, and Minerva Mcgonagall._

 _The next photo was of her parents, her_ _father stood there with his arm wrapped around his wife, smiling and waving as her mother blew her a kiss._

 _The last one was of Harry and Ginny standing behind their two sons, James whom was four years old also the oldest stood infront of his father, while Ablus, two years old, stood in front of his mother holding his brothers hand, as Ginny held their newborn daughter Lily in her arms, as they all grinned happily._

 _"So, they finally settled down", Severus remarked motioning towards the picture._

 _"Yes", Hermione answered awkwardly setting the tray on the coffee table then turning her head to smile at the picture._

 _"James is a little too mischevious, while Albus is so shy, and all Lily wants to do is hold your finger..as if her life depends on it", Hermione murmered lovingly, lightly touching the picture with her index finger as Lilly started to giggle, making hermione snicker._

 _"But they're really sweet kids", Hermione stated softly with a sigh._

 _Severus tensed uneasily at the faint longing in her voice then scowled at her back as he tried to change the subject._

 _"Do you think it's wise...to have those out in the open?", Severus asked inquiringly._

 _Hermione turned her head abruptly._

 _"I'm a big girl Severus", Hermione retorted knitting her eyebrows together._

 _"What if a muggle saw them?", Severus asked abrasively._

 _"Maybe you should tell me...because I obviously don't know", Hermione rejoindered furiously crossing her arms._

 _Severus glowered as he slowly approuched her._

 _"Don't..be foolish", Severus growled as he towered over her._

 _Hermione glared up at him with pursed lips as she walked past him, bumping into his shoulder._

 _Severus was a bit taken aback by her sudden aggressiveness as he rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly, before turning around to face her._

 _He watched her intriguingly as she sat down and carefully started to pour tea into his cup, then knowingly adding two drops of sugar before handing it to him._

 _"You remembered..how I like my tea", Severus remarked inquiringly, raising his eyebrow._

 _"Of course", Hermione stated, patently sitting back down on the couch to fix up her tea._

 _Severus scowled into his tea deep in thought before he slowly walked to the chair across from Hermione and sat down._

 _They sipped their tea in silence for a couple minutes, while Hermione was uneasily aware of Severus's fixated gaze on her, before he broke the silence._

 _"This is quite..a charming little flat", Severus remarked conversationally sipping his tea once more._

 _"Thank you", Hermione said cautiously as she slowly looked up at him._

 _"How long have you lived here?", Severus asked inquisitively._

 _"Four years", Hermione answered carefully before continuing._

 _"The first year After the war..I lived with my parents", Hermione said slowly sipping her tea._

 _"Why did you decide to move back?", Severus inquired eyeing her knowingly._

 _Hermione tensed under his knowing gaze._

 _"Because I missed my family", Hermione asserted knitting her eyebrows together as she intertwined her fingers firmly around her cup._

 _"I'm sure that's...partly true", Severus said assuredly, before raising his eyebrow skeptically._

 _"It is true", Hermione retorted furrowing her eyebrows._

 _"I had just gotten them back, or have you completely forgotten that I had to erase their minds of my entire existence", Hermione added furiously._

 _"I had to go find them..in Australia, they had to relearn who I was", Hermione exclaimed._

 _Severus raised his head slightly as he frowned._

 _"That still..does not explain why...you never came back", Severus said contentiously as he stood up and walked a few steps away before turning around to scrutinize her sharply._

 _Hermione stared at him for a few seconds before furiously looking down at her hands._

 _"I want you to enlighten me...on what the hell this is suppose to mean", Severus said discombobulatedly as he pulled her letter from last night out of his pocket, and read the last part out loud._

 _"I can't keep making myself miserable, I'm done avoiding you", he imitated gruffly as he watched her quizzically, waiting for her to answer._

 _Hermione tensed as she reluctantly turned her head away from him."How are you miserable?, you're pratically living in luxury...with your fancy air conditoner", Severus sneered scornfully._

 _"My parents want me to be comfortable here", Hermione retorted defensively furrowing her eyebrows._

 _"Why did you really..move away, was it because of me?, Severus asked harshly through his teeth._

 _Hermione stubbornly turned her head away from him again._

 _"Don't shut me out Hermione", Severus snarled as he slowly approuched her._

 _"Answer me", Severus growled when Hermione still refused to look at him._

 _Her eyes were closed and it took every ounce of courage to not acknowledge him._

 _"Did you leave because of me!", Severus bellowed infuriatingly._

 _"Yes!", Hermione snapped as she finally looked up at him with angry tears in her eyes._

 _Severus took a step back._

 _"Why?", he frowned._

 _"Because you didn't stop me", Hermione_ _mumbled bitterly as one single tear trickled down her cheek._

 _"So you're saying it's my fault?", Severus asked indignantly furrowing his eyebrows._

 _"Yes!", Hermione yelled as she stood up and walked away, turning her back to him._

 _"How is it my fault?...that you just decided to dropout of our world", Severus asked coldly._

 _"Because you knew I cared about you!, you kissed me!, and then you let me leave!", Hermione shouted as she turned back around to glare at him._

 _"You don't know anything", Severus scowled._

 _"I know you weren't playing me", Hermione asserted fiercely._

 _"How do you know?...I played voldomort like a fiddle", Severus remarked cattily._

 _"No! I don't believe that", Hermione retorted knitting her eyebrows together._

 _"You care for me too, otherwise you wouldn't be here", Hermione added gritting her teeth._

 _"Believe what you want", Severus said coolly as he turned away to face the fireplace, resting his hand on the mantle._

 _"Then what was that at the bar?, you said I was gourgeous", Hermione scolded incredulously._

 _"I was drunk, and surprised to see you", said dismissively as if that was excusable._

 _"Oh, so that makes it okay..for you to be in denial", Hermione replied persistently._

 _"I am not", Severus muttered through his teeth._

 _Hermione scoffed as she shook her head._

 _"Then what the hell are you doing here?!", Hermione shouted exasperatedly._

 _Severus remained silent just glaring into the fireplace._

 _"You said you were ready to let your walls down, yet you just stand there like a fucking coward", Hermione berated tremulously._

 _All in a split second Severus had whipped around and Hermione found herself roughly shoved against the wall tightly by her arms._

 _"What do you want from me?", Severus snarled._

 _"I want you to tell the truth", Hermione implied as she glared at him, then winced when he squeezed her arms tighter._

 _"Stop thinking about your precious ego, and your brooding reputation, and be honest with yourself, for once in your life Severus!", Hermione whimpered indignantly._

 _"You really want honesty!?", Severus growled._

 _"Yes!", Hermione exclaimed as Severus snarled at her._

 _"I loved you!, and when you left me and everyone and everything else behind it felt like none of us mattered! Y-...you broke my heart!", Severus roared, his eyes never leaving her wide eyed ones._

 _For the first time, Hermione could see the anger and hurt in his eyes, and she couldn't say anything._

 _Tears fell down Hermione's face as she looked away from the intensity in his eyes._

 _"Is that what you wanted?", Severus asked as tears stung his eyes as well before he blinked them away furiously._

 _"I'm sorry", Hermione said shakily as her lips quivered._

 _Severus remained silent for a few moments just watching her cry, till his eyes found on her lips._

 _Severus sighed disconertingly as he slowly released his grip on her arms._

 _"I should never have let you go, I should of pulled you by the back of your jacket", Severus confessed regrettably as he grimaced at himself._

 _Hermione chotled and snivelled as she looked up at him._

 _"Why didn't you?", Hermione asked as one more tear slid down her cheek._

 _"Like you said, I was protecting my reputation, the one I forgot I didn't need", Severus said as he berated himself disdainfully._

 _"You didn't forget Severus, voldomorts death and winning the battle hadn't even sunk in yet", Hermione asserted comfortingly._

 _"Believe me, it didn't sink in for me for almost a week, I was still looking over my shoulder everywhere I went", Hermione added uneasily._

 _"I'm sorry, I should have been there to comfort you ", Severus said solemnly._

 _"God these past five years have been all for nothing!", Severus shouted angerily as he kicked the table, and his tea cup fell and shattered on the floor._

 _Hermione flinched at the loud sound before she pulled out her wand and flicked it at the broken glass._

 _They watched as it slowly pieced itself back together, before it hovered above her hand._

 _"It wasn't all for nothing", Hermione stated softly as she slowly placed the cup in his hand, letting her fingers linger a little bit before dropping her hand to her side._

 _"You're willing to start over?", Severus asked eyeing her in disbelief._

 _"I meant what i said, I don't want to be miserable anymore, so I'm willing to try...if you still want me", Hermione replied nervously fluttering her eyelashes as she looked down at the floor._

 _Severus stared at her in astonishment, thinking he'd be insane if he didn't._

 _A moment later Hermione looked back up at him, she looked so timid and fragile as Severus examined her his eyes drifted to her lips once again._

 _Hermione chewed her lip anxiously as they stared earnestly at each other for what seemed like forever, before their bodies suddenly collided and their lips met hungrily._

 _Hermione gasped against his lips when he picked her up and pinned her against the wall again, shoving her arms above her head as she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing fiercely until they had to stop for_ _breath._

 _Severus gently ripped her ponytail out of her hair and watched it fall past her shoulders as he carried her out of the room while Hermione buried her face in his neck as he walked down the hallway and around the corner to her room and crashed down onto her bed._

 _They frantically removed each others clothes until they were skin on skin._

 _"So beautiful", Severus mumbled into her hair as she smiled when his hands started to roam her body._

 _He held her arms above her head again as he trailed kisses along her neck and down between her breasts, all the way down to her stomach and back up again claiming her lips full on._

 _Hermione gasped and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck when he pushed himself into her, thrusting in and out over and over again till he collapsed tiredly ontop of her._

 _They both breathed erratically into each others embrace as Hermione Kept her arms and legs wrapped firmly around him._

 _Severus gently wiped her hair out of her face before placing a soft kiss on her forhead._

 _"I guess we finally came to an understanding", Severus remarked with a smirk as Hermione laughed, finally relaxing her body enough to let him go._

 _Severus curled up next to her and pulled her close and layed there til they drifted off into a deep peaceful sleep._

 _ **(A/N Sorry that was longer then I meant for it to be but it was important to know that she left the morning after the battle.**_

 _ **And if you didn't get the whole thing with the tea cup shattering and being put back together, I was trying to symbolize their relationship, hehe.**_

 _ **But now you know what happened. Does this mean they're finally together? wait and see.)**_

 _ **(Oh and from now on if your reveiws are not nice they will be ignored. Thank you to everyone else who enjoys my stories.)**_

 _ **(To be continued...)**_


	4. Chapter Four

**_coming clean._**

 _A few hours later_ ,

 _they were woken up by loud knocking at Hermione's front door._

 _"mmm.._ _why can't whoever it is go away," Hermione whined as she rolled over to check her alarm clock._

 _"What time is it?," Severus asked groggily as he pinched the bridge of his nose._

 _"ugh, it's five o'clock already," Hermione answered as she got out of bed, pulling the blanket with her and wrapping it around herself. Leaving Severus lying there nude with the sheet up to his waist._

 _Hermione stepped out of the room and walked into the hallway and called, "Who is it?."_

 _"It's me, Michael. can we talk?", he called back through the door._

 _Hermione's eyes widened. "Just a minute!," she called back._

 _Before racing back into her room and throwing the blanket down to put her shorts and blouse back on. Quickly buttoning it up. Then hastily combing her fingers through her hair as she swiftly walked over to the bed._

 _"What's going on?, Hermione?, who's at the door?," Severus asked apprehensively as he sat up in bed._

 _"I'll explain later. Just please wait here," Hermione replied nervously as she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips before running out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her._

 _Hermione ran back down the hall, hurriedly tucking in her shirt along the way, and quickly tucking her hair behind her ears before opening the door._

 _The door opened to Reveal a tall slender man, who wore rings on all his fingers, and looked to be in his late twentys, with blue eyes and untidy dirty blonde hair._

 _He wore a blue grey polo T-shirt, with a nice pair of tan colored chino pants, and dark blue vans canvas sneakers._

 _"Michael, hi," Hermione greeted nicely._

 _"Hello Hermione," Michael greeted back as he leaned in to kiss her, but was cut off when Hermione turned her head slightly, giving him the cheek instead._

 _Michael cleared his throat awkwardly as Hermione slowly turned her head back to give him a small smile._

 _"Uh, listen Hermione, I came by because I wanted to apologize for wednesday night. I got held up at work again," Michael said apologetically._

 _Just when Severus carefully cracked the bedroom door open and slipped out in only his black pants, and his white under shirt to hear their exchange._

 _"I understand," Hermione said. Nodding her head forgivingly._

 _"Great," Michael said in relief._

 _"Listen, I thought maybe I could take you out to dinner to make it up to you and-," Michael started again before Hermione stopped him by holding up her hand._

 _"Michael, I accept your apology. But I can't do this anymore," Hermione stated firmly as she shook her head._

 _Michael stared confusedly at her._

 _"Are you breaking up with me?," he asked indistinctly knitting his eyebrows together._

 _Hermione nodded slightly. "I'm sorry," she said softly._

 _"Is it because there's someone else?," Michael implied audaciously._

 _"I'm sorry?," Hermione asked furrowing her eyebrows astoundingly._

 _"Is that why you're being so distant?, not even letting me touch you," Michael pressed on valiantly._

 _Hermione tensed uneasily. "We're just too different, Michael," she said bluntly._

 _"So there is someone else," Michael remarked persistently._

 _Hermione sighed infuriatingly. "It's really none of your buisness," she replied in a harsh tone._

 _"Who is he?," Michael pushed relentlessly._

 _"I told you, It's none of your buisness," Hermione repeated._ _"Now go," She added coldly as she tried to shut the door, but Michael pushed it back open._

 _"Did I interupt something?," Michael asked scornfully, looking her up and down. noting how thrown together she looked._

 _"Yes, you did," Severus spoke suddenly without thinking as he stepped out from around the corner before Hermione had the chance to answer. Whipping her head around in shock._

 _Hermione barely had enough time to react before she was struck hard in the face and fell to the floor._

 _"You're a whore!, you slept with that old geezer!, but you wouldn't sleep with me!," Michael shouted furiously while Hermione layed there gasping in pain_ _as tears flooded her vision._

 _Severus stared in shock. He barely processed what just happened before he flew down that hallway and violently shoved Michael against the wall._

 _"DON'T YOU EVER!, LAY YOUR HANDS ON A WOMEN!," Severus bellowed dangerously._

 _"YOU LIKE HITTING WOMEN!?, HOW DO_ YOU LIKE _BEING HIT BY A MAN!," Severus continued as he punched Michael hard in the face before pulling him up by his shirt._

 _"If you ever, show your face around here again you will regret it," Severus growled before throwing him out and watching him runaway before slamming the door._

 _Then his eyes fell on Hermione._

 _"Hermione?," Severus called gently as he crouched down beside her and placed a soft hand on her shaking form._

 _She tensed. Hiding behind her hands._

 _"Please, let me see it," Severus prompted as he tried to get her to move her hands._

 _Hermione shook her head._

 _"Hermione, please," He pleaded before she slowly started to remove her hands from her face._

 _Revealing a two inch long scrape across her cheek that was still bleeding and starting to bruise._

 _Severus stared enraged at it._

 _"What kind of a man wears rings on all his fingers," He mumbled angrily as he carefully picked Hermione up. Cradling her to his chest as he carried her into the living room and set her gently on the couch._

 _"Do you have a first aid kit?," Severus inquired in a soft voice._

 _"It's under the bathroom sink," Hermione replied with a whimper when she reached up to lightly touch her cheek._

 _"Don't touch it. I'll be right back," Severus said as he walked out of the room, returning moments later with the first aid kit._

 _"Is this the first time he's ever hit you?," Severus asked as he sat down on the couch next to her and opened up the first aid kit._

 _He noticed she had a little blood on her hands, so he pulled out some non alcohol antiseptic wipes and gently started to clean her hands._

 _"Yes. He has anger issues, but it's never been that bad," Hermione answered shaking her head sadly._

 _"Well, let's hope he's smart enough to keep his distance," Severus remarked warningly as he carefully started to clean the wound on her face._

 _Hermione winced as he lightly dabbed her face with the alcohol septic wipes. Then cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and gauzes._

 _"Thank you, for what you did. I'm sure he's terrified of you now," Hermione asserted thankfully with a soft smile._

 _Severus scoffed. "You thought I was talking about me," He smirked teasingly._

 _Hermione chortled. blushing slightly as he crumpled the gauzes and wipes into a ball and pulled out a small tube of magic fast healing salve._

 _"You have magic healing salve?," Severus asked_ _as he raised both his eyebrows in surprise._

 _"Yes. Mrs.Weasly keeps me in stock in case of emergencies, like this," Hermione replied as she tensed awkwardly._

 _Severus slowly nodded in understanding._

 _"That's very kind of her," Severus remarked warmly as he gently grasped her chin, tilting it up to lightly dab the salve onto her cheek as they stared keenly at one another._

" _Look, Severus, I"m sorry I didn't tell you about Michael," Hermione apologized regrettably._

 _"Don't be. I should've known a beautiful women like you, would be snatched up. besides, there wasn't really much time for talking was there?," Severus smirked. Raising his eyebrow mischievously as he wiped his hands with a non alcohol antiseptic wipe._

 _Hermione gaped at him in shock before she started laughing. Biting her lip as he took out two waterproof butterfly bandages._

 _"Hold still," Severus ordered. Smiling down at her as he slowly placed the bandages on her cheek and lightly pressed them into place as Hermione winced._

 _"well, you're done," Severus murmered as he gently brushed his thumb across her cheek._

 _"Thank you," Hermione blushed. Putting her hair behind her ear as she slowly stood up and walked across the room and leaned against the doorway._

 _"Are you alright?," Severus asked as he stood up as well, upon noticing her slight discomfort._

 _"I'm sorry, Severus", Hermione murmured._

 _"For what?," Severus asked anxiously as he slowly walked up behind her._

 _"I can't help but think of the memories that might have brought back for you," Hermione answered_ _guilt-ridden as she closed her eyes._

 _Severus lifted his head in recognition._

 _"How did you know?," Severus asked inquiringly. Knitting his eyebrows together._

 _"Professor Dumbledore told me," Hermione replied awkwardly as she turned around to face him._

 ** _(Oh ya btw Albus is alive in this story.)_**

 _Severus made a guttural sound in the back of his throat._

 _"Bloody old man," He muttered irritatingly. Rolling his eyes before they lit up in sudden curiosity._

 _"When did you speak with him?," Severus asked curiously furrowing his eyebrows._

 _Hermione tensed nervously._

 _"A little over a year ago," Hermione replied quietly as Severus inwardly sighed in relief, for fear that Dumbledore had broken his promise._

 _"I happened to be visiting at the borrow one night, and he just showed up all jolly like everything was normal. I wanted to melt into my shoes," Hermione said in a soft voice that ended in a sad whisper when she looked down at her bare toes, and sighed._

 _"Because things weren't normal. Half of our friends are gone, or were avoiding each other", Hermione murmured. Emphasizing (Each other) as she glanced up at him with a sniffle as tears stung her eyes._

 _Severus sighed with guilt. "Hermione, It's time I come clean to you about something," He started as Hermione waited expectantly for him to continue._

" _I lied to you, that night you came to see me, before you left with Ablus and your friends to destroy the horcruxes," Severus confessed as Hermione's eyes widened._

 _"No shit," Hermione scoffed as she inhaled a sharp breath while Severus frowned regretfully._

 _"I poured my heart out to you, in case I never got to see you again," Hermione continued shakily. "And you kicked me out," She exclaimed as Severus shifted his feet with a pained look on his face._

 _"You broke my heart too," Hermione stated. slowly shaking her head._

 _"You have no idea how much that hurt me. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Severus admitted solemnly with apologetic eyes as he stared into her tear filled ones._

" _I'm so sorry, love," Severus whispered while he place his hand softly on her cheek as she leaned into his palm with a sigh._

 _"I suppose it doesn't matter now," Hermione murmured as she smiled softly up at him before turning around with her back to him._

 _"I just don't know how Dumbledore knew. He questioned me about you that night," Hermione then added suddenly in confusion._

 _"Of course he did, He's Albus Dumbledore. That meddeling fool knows everything", Severus replied gruffly._

 _"Yeah, I guess when you're out in the woods trying to destroy voldomort you get to learn more about a person, while he closes in on your deepest secret," Hermione_ _said curtly through her teeth._

 _"Or maybe I just wasn't that good at hiding it", Hermione mumbled coherently. frowning at herself in disappointment._

 _"That's understandable, after getting your heart broken," Severus remarked in a low voice. Snarling at himself before Hermione let out a sad breath as she left the room. Walking back into her room with Severus following close behind._

 _"Micheal may resemble my father, but you are nothing like my mother, Hermione, do you hear me?," Severus declared in a firm voice. Returning back to topic._

 _"S_ _he constantly let my father_ _mercilessly beat her," Severus added hauntingly as he tried to reassure her._

 _"But I let him hit me," Hermione exclaimed lamentably as she turned around to face him_ _with piercing eyes._

 _"You were in shock, there was no way you could of prevented it," Severus stated blatantly as Hermione turned her head in anger at herself._

" _This is my fault. I shouldn't have gotten involved," He added regretfully. Shaking his head as he pointed at himself._

 _"You didn't know. You were just trying to help," Hermione prompted in a soft voice. "And I really appreciate what you did, no one has ever done anything like that for me," She added with a sweet smile._

 _"You're welcome," Severus responded with a warm smile in return before Hermione turned around to face her window with a blush._

 _"I have to ask, Hermione", Severus announced moments later out of curiosity._

 _"Ask what?", Hermione asked apprehensively as she turned her head a little to look at him._

 _"why didn't you sleep with him?," Severus asked curiously_ _as_ _Hermione shifted nervously_ _before turning around to face him with flushed cheeks._

 _"Because I'm not in love with him," Hermione admitted patently as she stared at Severus_.

 _"Have you been with anyone?", Severus asked_ _anxiously with furrowed eyebrows as Hermione sheepishly shook her head._

 _"No. Just you," Hermione answered as she shyly glanced up at him._

 _"You-, you waited for me?," Severus asked stunned in disbelief._

 _"Yes", Hermione replied with deep sincerity as she nodded her head._

 _Severus stared wonder-struck at her_. _"I could have made it special for you," He uttered in regret._

 _"It was special," Hermione exclaimed with gleaming eyes as she stepped up to him and grabbed his hand. "I couldn't of imagined my first time to be any better then that," She breathed blissfully._

 _Severus chuckled. "You still have much to experiance, love," He remarked with a playful smirk as he lightly cupped her face. Tilting it up slowly._

 _"Is that so?," Hermione rejoindered with a raised eyebrow. Smiling as Severus leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips while she wrapped her arms around his waist._

 _Moments later, Hermione broke the kiss. Resting their foreheads together before dropping her head down to stare at the floor._

 _"What are we doing?, Severus," Hermione whispered. "I want to know what this means for us, before I get my hopes up again," She murmured cauiously as she stood back to stare expectantly up at him._

 _Severus sighed. "I didn't lie to you that night to hide my feelings from you, or to deny them, but because it was not the right time to embrace them," He stated softly as Hermione's eyes filled with tears._

 _"Our happiness could not be. Not while the dark lord still resided. I wouldn't let him take you from me to," Severus continued, curling his lip in hatred._

 _"But the morning of the battle, when you kissed me_ -," _Hermione started before Severus interuppted her._

 _"I slipped," Severus stated as he closed his eyes and opened them again. "I just couldn't fight. Not without letting you know how I truly felt about you,"_ _He confessed solemnly as he softly tucked her hair behind her ear._

 _"I needed you to know how much I loved you, in case I didn't survive," Severus continued earnestly, with loving eyes as_ _Hermione let out a breathless laugh as her tears slid down her chee_ _ks._

 _"Everything went by so fast after the Dark lords downfall. You left without a word, and I thought that meant you didn't want me anymore, that I was too late. So I went back to sulking," Severus said discouragingly as Hermione's eyes widened slightly._

 _"You should have talked to me," Hermione stated through her tears._

 _"I know. It was my worst mistake," Severus replied regretfully before taking a step closer to her and quickly wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him._

 _"One I will not make again," He declared in a firm voice as Hermione gasped. Looking up at him in surprise._

 _"I love you, Hermione. I should have told you that night, I regret it everyday. I am so sorry for all of this wasted time," Severus said, shaking his head as angry tears filled his eyes._

 _Hermione quickly shook her head as well before she reached up and wiped them away._ " _It doesn't matter. You're here now," She murmured softly as she hugged him with a blissful sigh. Wrapping her arms around his neck._

 _"I love you," Hermione whispered in his ear. Then placed a soft kiss on his neck before Severus turned his head to press his lips to hers in a deep passionate kiss._

 _He tangled his fingers in her hair as she tugged on his shirt. "I'm never letting you go again," Severus mumbled between their kiss as he tightened his grip on her waist. "Good," Hermione moaned against his lips._

 _"I should go take a shower," Hermione murmured moments later as she reluctantly took a step back from him._

 _"You coming?," Hermione asked while gently squeezed his hand._

 _"You go ahead, love, I'll make us something to eat for dinner," Severus replied as he smiled warmly down at her._

 _"Oh, Severus, you don't have to do that," Hermione said in awe._

 _"I insist," Severus stated in a firm voice. "I'll see you in a few," He added before laying a soft kiss on the top of her head, then walking swiftly out of the room._

 _Hermione smiled to herself as she colleted her clothes, then left her room and walked into her bathroom, shutting the door behind her._

 _She turned the water on, and basked in the hot water as it ran down the length of her body. She still couldn't believe that today happened, and that the man she has truly ever wanted was downstairs cooking who knows what. It made her giggle._

 _Hermione was done, and out of the shower twenty minutes later. She got dressed in a pair of black leggings that clung to her curves, **(obviously lol )** and a longer white lace sweater. Deciding to remain barefoot, she magically dried her hair, taming it into soft curls down her back before pinning half of it to the back of her head, and leaving two strands out to frame her face. _She then carefully added some blush onto her cheeks, and mascara for a natural look.

 _She studied herself in the mirror, eyeing the bandage on her left cheek with a wry expression. It still hurt, but to her it was all worth it._

 _Hermione confidently made her way to her kitchen, and stood in the doorway as Severus had just set her plate on the table. She took immediate notice that Severus had draped a nice white cloth over the table, and had put four pearl white taper candles on the table as well as two wine glasses, and the bottle of wine._

" _Wow, you really went all out," Hermione remarked in awe as Severus turned to smile at her. Then raised his eyebrows in surprise. He felt his heart skip a beat, and start to race when he took in her appearance._

 _"Severus Snape, are you blushing?," Hermione quirked teasingly, with a smug grin._

 _Severus sucked in a quick breath. "I guess you caught me," Severus replied wonderstruck as he glided over to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, causing Hermione to narrow her eyes at him in bewilderment._

 _"What?," Severus asked in amusement as Hermione blinked at him._

 _"I didn't think you would actually admit it," Hermione answered with a sheepish smile._

 _"I have no more need to hide it," Severus stated with a smirk. "And I mean that. I'm serious about you, Hermione," He added solemnly as Hermione stared lovingly into his dark eyes._

 _"You look beautiful," Severus whispered as he placed a soft kiss on her nose, then lightly brushed his thumb over her left cheek again._ _Hermione looked down with flushed cheeks as she giggled._

 _"Look who's blushing now," Severus rejoindered with a smirk_.

" _Shut up," Hermione chortled as she gently shoved him away._

 _Severus laughed. "I'm quite pleased, at how easy it is for me to make you blush," Severus stated smugly. "Quite proud of myself actually," He gloated._

 _"Don't get too cocky, I have a few tricks up my sleaves as well," Hermione remarked with fierce eyes, and a mischievous smirk._

 _Severus raised his eyebrows in slight agitation. "Care to share?," He asked in a silkly voice._

" _Afraid I can't," Hermione shrugged with a fake pouty face. "They wouldn't be tricks if I told, now would they?," She beamed._

" _Who knew that you could be so cruel," Severus remarked teasingly with a fake sad smile._

 _Hermione's smile grew. "You have no idea. Choose your battles wisely, Severus," She replied playfully with a mischievous glint in her eyes._

" _Is that a threat?," Severus quirked amusedly with his eyebrows raised._

 _"No. It's advise," Hermione stated_ _, pretending to look put out but couldn't manage to hide her smile for long. She laughed._

 _"Advise I suggest you should take, because you may be able to tease me, Severus, but I can torture you," Hermione added in a silky voice as she smirked when Severus's eyes widened._

 _"What have I done?," Severus exclaimed to himself in slight shock as Hermione stared at him with a mischievous grin._

 _"look at you, your first time in the sheets, and I have created a monster," Severus remarked with an ironic smirk._

 _Hermione rolled her eyes. "No you didn't. you just unleashed one," she teased._

 _"That's just as bad," Severus retorted, furrowing his eyebrows in slight horror as Hermione snickered as they sat down at the table._

" _I hope my spagetti is to your liking," Severus said as he placed his serviette on his lap._

 _"It looks wonderful, Severus," Hermione replied with a soft smile as she did the same. "I didn't know that you cooked," she added._

 _"Well, I found that it's quite similar to potion making, so I find myself cooking as much as I'm slaving over my cauldrons," Severus remarked with a smirk as he picked up the wine bottle and opened it._

 _"I'm impressed," Hermione said, grinning at him adoringly as she picked up her wine glass and held it up to him as he filled it half way before filling up his own._

 _"To second chances," Hermione said happily as she raised her glass higher._

 _"To us," Severus smiled as their glasses chimed together._

 _They talked about how their lives have been for the past five years, and what they had wanted to do, and achieve since the freedom of their world from the grip of the dark lord._

 _Hermione learned that although Severus liked his teaching, it just wasn't the same. He loved his line of work. He was good at it. But he felt he could do more with it._

 _Severus found out that Hermione hated her job at the ministry. She felt that she wasn't being true to herself, by working as an assistant. She to wanted to do more with her talents._

 _"Why don't you take my place?," Severus suggested as Hermione stood up to carry their dishes to the sink. Then turn around in suprise._

 _"What?," she exclaimed incredulously as Severus picked up their glasses and walked them over to her_ , _and put them on the counter._

 _"I, I always wanted to turn my potion making into my own business, to help other witches and wizards around the world," Severus answered as he gazed out her kitchen window at the now dark sky while Hermione stared at him in awe._

 _"I would only step down to someone who is worthy of taking my place," Severus stated softly as he slowly turned his head to look at her._

 _"As potions master?," Hermione exclaimed in amazement._

 _A smile tugged at Severus's lips. "Yes. But in your case, you'd be potions mistress," He said admiringly._

 _Hermione puffed out a sharp breath. "You really think I could do it?," she murmured skeptically._

 _Severus turned all the way around to face her. "I know you can," He declared patently while gently squeezing her shoulders as he gazed earnestly into her eyes._

 _"But-, but that would mean that I'd have to move back to Hogwarts, what would you do for work?," Hermione sputtered anxiously._

 _"As a potions master, and an ex death-eater, I have more then enough to get me by until my business picks up," Severus replied reassuringly. Even though his voice had gone cold at mentioning his fatal mistake._

 _"You would really do that for me?," Hermione breathed._

 _"And so much more," Severus said, now in a gentle voice as his hands intertwined with hers. "I'm sure Albus won't need much convincing, that is if you want it," He added with a smirk before it disappeared seconds later, to an apprehensive look._

 _"I'd be taking over as Head of slytherin house," Hermione murmured nervously to herself._

 _"Yes," Severus stated as he nodded in confirmation._

 _"Do you think that's appropriate?," Hermione asked worriedly, furrowing her eyebrows._

 _"Hermione, it doesn't matter what house you were brought up in, if you want to teach potions, you damn well have every right," Severus responded solemnly as he gently squeezed her hands._

 _"The slytherins won't like it," Hermione remarked with a slight smirk._

 _"Tough," Severus replied with a smug grin, causing Hermione to burst out laughing._

 _"I don't have to wear all black, like you, do I?," Hermione teased with a raised eyebrow._

 _Severus mimicked her. "You don't like my uniform?," He asked with fake pouty face._

 _Hermione chortled with flushed cheeks. "No I, I think I liked it a bit too much," She admitted, biting her lip as Severus smirked down at her._

 _"I just don't think I could pull off all that black, or even begin to know how you do it," Hermione continued with a sheepish smile._

 _"Do what?," Severus smirked._

 _"You know," Hermione blushed._

 _Severus pretended to look thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope," he smirked, although there was a knowing twinkle is his eyes._

 _Hermione scoffed. "You know, the way you billow your robes when you walk," she explained sheepishly._

 _"Ah," Severus chuckled._

 _"So it's true?, you do, do it on purpose, how?," Hermione asked eagerly as Severus continued to chuckle._

 _"It's a secret, it is but one of my many skills," Severus replied smugly as he place his index finger to his lips._

 ** _(Jackass lol)_**

 _Hermione let out another puff of air. "You won't tell me?," She exclaimed, giving him a funny look as she shook her head._ _"It's my thing," Severus remarked in his defence. Still smirking._

 _"Fine, whatever," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes before laughing to herself._

 _"You don't need to dress, or walk like me, to be a potions mistress. You can wear whatever color you wish, I know you will be an amazing potions mistress," Severus said with deep sincerity as he smiled down at her._

 _"Just be yourself," He added lovingly as he softly placed his hands on her shoulders again._

 _Hermione smiled up at him. "Thank you," She whispered sweetly before reaching up to place a soft kiss on his lips._

 _"I'll think about it," Hermione murmured softly as they broke apart._

 _"Take as much time as you need," Severus said in a breathy voice as he gently stroked her left cheek._

 _Hermione nodded as she flashed him a delighted smile before their lips met once again in an ardent kiss while they wrapped their arms around each other._

 _All of a sudden there was this loud scruffle coming from the open window next to them. They both jumped in shock as Hermione noticed Shelly trying to fly in through the window._

 _"Shelly!," Hermione groaned irritatingly as she reached over the sink to push the window open all the way so Shelly could fly through._

 _Shelly flew in and landed across the room on her perch in front of the other window next to the back door. plucking at her feathers as Hermione and Severus walked over to her._

 _"She's got quite the personality, doesn't she?," Severus remarked as he stared amusedly at the owl ruffling her feathers._

 _"You have no idea," Hermione scoffed, shaking her head as she narrowed her eyes at shelly, only to recieve a little chirp and a twitch of her head in response._

 _"You realize she's taunting me," Hermione drawled glancing up at Severus for a few seconds before looking back at shelly who just blinked up at her proudly from her perch._

 _Severus laughed. "I take it, this isn't the first time she's done that?," he asked, still chuckling._

 _"Oh, no, I think she gets a real pleasure out of scaring me," Hermione grumbled as she playfully glared at the bird while Severus smiled softly at the both of them._

 _"So, what happened to your cat?," Severus asked curiously upon realizing that he hasn't seen it wondering about._

 _"Oh, Crookshanks, I left him with my parents, he just seemed so comfortable with them, I couldn't bare to take him away," Hermione answered with a sad smile._

 _"But I'm alright, I've got Shelly, even though she is a pain in the arse sometimes," Hermione continued shrugging her shoulders as she smirked up at Severus who laughed when Shelly screetched at Hermione with fierce eyes._

 _"I said only sometimes!," Hermione squealed defensively to the owl while Severus continued to laugh at them._

 _"Well, I should probably get going," Severus spoke moments later._

 _Hermione looked up at him in surprise. "Oh?," she asked with another sad smile._

 _"Yes, I've got the new term to prepare for, schedules to plan out," Severus replied giving her a long hopeful look._

 _Hermione raised her eyebrows knowingly at him, then she sighed before she beamed at him._

 _"I'll walk you out," She said as she turned to walk out of the kitchen, and waited for Severus in the doorway, holding out her hand as he walked over to her with a smirk on his face._

 _"Just say the words, Hermione, and the position is yours," Severus declared resolutely as he smiled at the door ahead._

 _Hermione exhaled tiredly. "Please don't pressure me, Severus," She begged softly in a voice just above a whisper._

 _"I just want you to do something that makes you happy, something that challenges your intelligence," Severus prompted solemnly as he stopped them in their tracks before they reached the front door._

 _Hermione smiled gratefully up at him before swiftly standing on her toes to press a tender kiss upon his lips. Slipping in her tongue ever so slightly as she tangled her fingers in his hair._

 _"I know," Hermione murmured as she placed another kiss lightly on his lips before slowly pulling away to smile at him._

 _"I appreciate your concern, I promise, I will let you know soon," she said as she rested her forehead against his._

 _"I just want the best for you," Severus whispered earnestly with assiduous eyes._

 _Hermione let out a quick breath as she kissed him again, this time more fiercely. "You are what is best for me," she stated breathlessly._

 _Severus flashed her a tender smile before walking to the door and opening it, his eyes never leaving hers. "You deserve the world, Hermione," He remarked with a warm smile._

 _"And that's exactly what I have," Hermione stated sincerely as Severus smiled at her one more time before turning to leave._

 _"Severus, wait," Hermione called as she rushed forward and pulled him into another heated kiss._

 _She pulled him closer to her until her back hit the back of her door, and Severus had to steady them by leaning one of his hands against the door._

 _"What was that for?," Severus asked breathless, in surprise._

 _"I just wanted to make sure that this was real," Hermione murmured sheepishly as she slowly opened her eyes._

 _"It's real, love," Severus answered with a soft smile as Hermione let out a sigh of relief._

 _"I guess that means I should call you my boyfriend now huh?," Hermione teased playfully as she beamed up at him._

 _Severus winced. "I never saw myself as the boyfriend type, but I suppose I could make and exception for you," he smirked before pressing a lingering kiss on her head, then took a step back and disapparated._

 _Hermione was glad that it was dark out so that none of her neighbors saw them, and so that she wouldn't have to struggle with an explanation._

 _"Maybe moving back home to Hogwarts wouldn't be such a bad thing, I wouldn't have to hide from anyone," Hermione thought wondrously as she smiled to herself._

 _ **(A/N Hello! sorry it took so long! but hey, they're finally together! I know this chapter is long, but I figured since it's been a while since it's been updated I figure hey, what the hell. lol**_

 _ **I hope you liked this chapter though, it took forever to figure out how I wanted it to go. Please leave positive reveiws only! and thank you for reading!**_

 _ **I'll update as soon as I can!)**_

 _ **(To be continued...)**_


	5. Chapter Five

**_New possibilities._**

 ** _(Beware. Fluffy chapter! M rated)_**

 _Several days later,_

 _Hermione and Severus awoke early on a monday morning and decided to venture out for breakfeast. Since Hermione had finally agreed to come over to his house for dinner, and had ended up staying the night. ;)_

 _They got dressed in their usual muggle attire. Hermione dressed in a pair of blue denim shorts, and a white, off the shoulder blouse, tucked into the waistband, with opened toe strappy wedges, and her hair flowed in loose curls_ _as she pinned half of it to each side of her head._

S _everus, however hot the sun might be, dressed in all black. Black trousers, his black oxfords shoes, and a black T-shirt that fitted him perfectly. Outlining his abs, and muscles, and with some subtle convincing from Hermione, Severus reluctantly tied his hair back into a low ponytail._

 _After that, they left his home hand in hand, and walked a few blocks to a small cafe where Severus then asked Hermione to wait outside while he went in and ordered their food, and came out minutes later with a medium sized plastic bag in his hands._

 _"Ready to go?," Severus asked softly with an exuberant glint in his eyes as he held out his arm to her._

 _"Go where?," Hermione asked in wonder as she wrapped her hands around his extended arm._

 _"You'll see," Severus stated playfully before he swept her away behind the cafe and disapparated with a crack._

 _They reappeared moments later in a huge meadow basically in the middle of nowhere. The only things they could see were hundreds of trees surrounding them, and blue sky that traveled for miles with not a single cloud in it._

 _They walked for a little bit until they spotted a little creek with a large willow tree next to it. Its branches dangled just over the water, making a pretty reflection in the calm_ _current._

 _"This is beautiful," Hermione remarked in awe just as the morning sun shined threw the branches on the tree, and a warm gentle breeze blowed through her hair as she slightly raised her chin, and closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of it brush against her face._

 _"Yes, you are," Severus murmured admiringly as he watched her lovingly._

 _Hermione chortled softly before sighing in complete bliss. Eyes still closed._

 _"Keep your eyes closed," Severus whispered in a silkly voice as he quietly took his wand out, and waved it once and the bag in his hands transfigured into a large off white quilt that slowly levitated itself perfectly flat onto the grass near the creek, and the food carefully placed itself on top before Severus quietly sat down before gazing up at Hermione._

 _"Alright, open your eyes," Severus said with a smug grin as Hermione slowly opened her eyes and gasped in surprise._

 _"Do you like it?," Severus asked hopefully as Hermione beamed at him before rushing forward and kissing him feverently._

 _Severus tangled his fingers in her hair as she straddled his lap. Hoisting herself up higher to deepen their kiss as he wrapped one arm around her waist as the other was grasped firmly into her hair._

 _"I'll take that as a yes," Severus declared breathlessly with a smirk as Hermione smiled adoringly down at him as he lowered his hands to her lower back._

 _"I love you," Hermione breathed earnestly as she brushed some loose strands of his hair out of his face._

 _"I love you too," Severus intoned wholeheartedly as they leaned in for another heated kiss while their tongues fought for dominance._

 _Hermione slowly started to grind up and down on his lap as he groaned while placing his hands firmly on her arse_ _as she moaned softly against his lips while pressing herself to him._

 _"There is something I want to talk to you about," Hermione remarked as she gave him one last kiss before she reluctantly pulled away from him._

 _"Yes, please do, I enjoy a good talk, after been given a stiffy," Severus grumbled sarcastically in a querulous tone as he tensed in discomfort from under Her._

 _Hermione giggled as she bit her lip before moving back a bit to look mischievously down at the bulge his pants._

 _Severus narrowed his eyes at her just before she gently seized hold of it. Making him groan in surprise. Seeing and feeling how firm he actually was, Hermione made a sad puppy dog face at him as she slowly started to massage it._

 _"Oh, you poor, poor man," Hermione murmured playfully as he moaned in pleasure just as she pressed her lips to his to quiet them._

 _A few minutes later_ _, Hermione suddenly stopped and removed her hand._

 _"There, all better," Hermione beamed with a smug grin on her face as she slid off of him._

 _"I'll get you back for this," Severus stated. glaring at her as he postitioned himself more comfortable on the blanket._

 _Hermione laughed in response as she began going through the food._

 _They sat in silence, eating their eggs, toast, and bacon, that they heated up with a quick heating spell before they feasted on a sweet fruit salad and sipped on their orange juice, that they kept fresh, and cold with a cooling spell._

 _After they finished eating they sat there for another moment in silence. Just enjoying the sounds of nature before Hermione finally broke the silence._

 _"So, I've thought a lot about of what you said," Hermione started conversationally as Severus turned his head to look at her while waiting expectantly for her to continue._

 _"And, you're right, I am not happy with the work I am doing, and even though Hogwarts will never have the same light, and excitement it had when I first layed eyes upon it, I miss it. It became my home. I could be myself," Hermione stated solemnly with a sad smile._

 _Severus smiled warmly at her._

 _"Does this mean you're coming home?," He asked eagerly._

 _Hermione nodded._

 _"Yes," Hermione beamed as she scooted over to him and hugged him._

 _"But what about you?," Hermione murmured worriedly into his hair._

 _"I told you, do not worry about me," Severus replied warmly as he gently tucked some of her hair behind her ear._

 _Hermione sighed before smiling lovingly at him._

 _"I will speak with Dumbledore tomorrow, unless you want to," Severus stated thoughtfully._

 _"We could do it together?," Hermione suggested sheepishly as Severus smirked at the thought of Dumbledore's reaction._

 _"I'm sure Albus will be ecstatic," He said sarcastically as Hermione chortled._

 _"Oh for sure, he's been waiting for us to get together since Hogwarts was rebuilt," Hermione joked as they both laughed. Even though they both knew he was secretly rooting for them all along._

" _So, how did you find this place?," Hermione asked curiously while she slipped off her shoes, then leaned back on her hands as the sun shined down on her legs._

 _"Believe it or not, we're not far from my house," Severus replied with a smirk._

 _"What?," Hermione exclaimed in disbelief as Severus chuckled at her._

 _"I use to come here as a child, this was my spot. It's about a fifteen, twenty minute walk from the woods behind my house," Severus remarked in thought as Hermione's eyes widened slightly._

 _"You walked all the way here, alone?," Hermione asked in surprise, and awe._

 _"I wasn't always alone," Severus murmured as he shook his head._

 _Hermione's eyebrows shot up in realization as she shifted on her hands._

 _"Oh, this is where you met her," Hermione proclaimed softly with a sweet smile._

 _Yes. This is where we found out about magic. We were so happy when we got our acceptance letters, we raced straight here," Severus stated with a smirk in rememberance as Hermione smiled in admiration._

" _What was she like?," Hermione asked softly in curiosity._

 _"Harry, doesn't really talk about her very much," Hermione added sadly._

 _Severus lifted his head to look thoughtfully up at her._

 _"She was like you," Severus replied with a warm smile._

 _"Like me?," Hermione quirked in surprise as Severus nodded in response._

 _"She was highly intelligent, and kind, caring, and very beautiful. She could always see the good in everyone. Even me," Severus_ _stated_ _earnestly as he knitted his eyebrows in disbelief._

 _Hermione smiled at him._

 _"She was right. There is good in you, there has always been good in you. You've just made mistakes, you're human is all,"_ _Hermione declared sweetly._

 _Severus glanced up at her with a soft expression as he reached over to careass her cheek._

 _"This is why I love you," Severus whispered in a silky voice into her ear as he scooted closer to her._

 _Hermione smiled. Closing her eyes in complete bliss as his lips hovered over her ear, then her cheek, and nose._

 _"But you are not her, you're not her replacement. You're my second chance, my second chance at love," Severus added in a soft whisper as his thumb brushed against her lips._

 _"And I am truly, madly, and deeply, in love with you ;) ," He intoned just as his lips hovered so close to hers she could feel his breath on her lips._

 _Hermione's lips parted slightly as she waited eagerly for him to kiss her._

 _Severus smirked down at her. Then he slowly leaned closer and closer till their lips touched, but he didn't kiss her. Instead, he slid the tip of his tongue out and he slowly traced the inner shape of her lips while she gasped in surprise._

 _He stopped at the left corner of her mouth and whispered._

 _"I want this to become our spot, I want to make new memories," He said as Hermione exhaled a shaky breath while she waited expectantly in excitement._

 _It was a particularly warm day in august, and as soon as the sun came out from around the tree, Severus got a great idea. He smirked smugly to himself before quietly standing, and moving away from her._

 _Hermione frowned in confusion as moments passed in dead silence. Then she heard some slight rustling, and a distinct thud before she heard his foot steps walking further away from her. Then all of a sudden she heard something loud splash into the water._

 _Hermione quickly opened her eyes and gasped in shock as she hurriedly got to her feet._

 _"What are you doing!,"_ _Hermione exclaimed in amazement as she tried to hold in her laughter as he stood up, knee legnth in the water. Naked. Simply combing his wet hair back._

 _Hermione ogled at him as she eyed him up and down with desire._

 _Severus smirked seductively at her._

 _"Making memories!, Won't you join me?,"_ _He called with a playful look in his eyes as he held out his hand for her._

 _Hermione chortled before she pulled the clips out of her hair, and slowly began to remove her clothing. Her eyes never leaving his._ _After she unclasped her bra, and stepped out of her panties, she kicked them to the side as she slowly made her way towards the waters shoreline._

 _Severus watched her intently with an amorous gleam in his eyes as she slowly approached him, and gently grasped his hand._

 _"You are so beautiful," Severus whispered lovingly as he slowly pulled her to him._

 _Hermione gazed up at him, and smirked mischievously._

 _Severus narrowed his eyes at her again in suspicion as she slowly walked behind him while trailing soft kisses on his arm, shoulder, and back. She glanced down at his butt and smiled. Then all of a sudden she shoved him and he fell face first into the water._

 _Hermione bursted out laughing at the taken aback expression on his face as he stood up and rubbed the water out of his eyes._

 _When his vision came back into focus, he saw the smug grin on Hermione's face, and he glared playfully at her._

 _"You should not have done that, my dear," Severus teased sulkily in a titillating tone of voice as he approached her cautiously and slowly trailed his hands down her bare voluptuous waist._

 _"It was quite a veiw though,"_ _Hermione remarked with a flirtatious expression as she chewed on her bottom lip._

 _At that, Severus swiftly scooped her up into his arms, and she squealed._

 _"Are you going to apologize?," He asked as he started to walk further out into deeper water._

 _Hermione shook her head. Then she shrieked as Severus pretended to throw her into the water._

 _"Apologize," He demanded before Hermione shook her head again._

 _Severus raised his eyebrow in fake pity as he quickly loosened his hold on her, and she squealed again just as she hit the water, and Severus erupted with laughter._

 _Severus was too busy laughing that he hadn't noticed her stand up, and she pounced on him. Wrapping her arms and legs around him as he staggered in the water, and fell backwards with Hermione on top of him._

 _As soon as his head came back above water, he kissed her. Pulling her against him, and their wet bodies collided as he wrapped his arm around her back and head again before lifting her up out of the water._

 _When they finally parted, he slowly let her slide back down his body till he gently scooped her up in his arms again, and he let her float ontop of the water as her head dangled while her hair swirled gracefully around her with the flow of the moving water._

 _Severus stared down at her adoringly._

 _Then ever so lightly, he trailed his finger tips across her jawline, down her neck, and down between her breasts as Hermione closed her eyes in delectation._

 _After that he slowly bent his head down and pressed a soft kiss in between her breasts as Hermione sighed in enjoyment._ _He continued to trail kisses across her breasts before he tenderly kissed her neck, and jaw._

 _Severus stared lovingly down at the naked woman in his arms, and he thought to himself, "I can't believe, out of all the men in the world, I'm the one with this beautiful woman in my arms."_

 _Then he leaned his head down again to lay a soft kiss on her collar bone before hovering over it._

" _My goddess," Severus whispered seductively as Hermione giggled before finally standing up in the water, and turning her back to him._

 _"I'd say you're doing pretty well for our first memory," Hermione remarked sincerely in a playful voice._

 _"I'm not done yet," Severus replied in a coquettish tone of voice as he kissed her neck while wrapping his arms around her stomach, and slowly gliding his hands up her body before he gently cupped her breasts._

 _Hermione smiled as she reached her arm up, and wrapped it around his neck as he tenderly started to massage her breasts. She leaned her head back against his left shoulder, and when she felt him rub against her she swiftly turned around and kissed him fervently. Wrapping both of her arms around his neck as he lifted her up and quickly trudged through the water towards the shore._

 _He layed her down onto their blanket as she pulled him down ontop of her. Pulling him into another heated kiss before he pulled away with a questioning look in his eyes._

 _"You sure you want to do this here?," Severus asked unsurely as Hermione softly brush his hair out of his face. Then she smiled._

 _"I thought you wanted to make new memories," Hermione remarked playfully._

 _Severus smirked with a longing look in his eyes as he leaned down to kiss her again before he gently slid into her, and she sighed in pleasure._

 _They moved together in perfect rhythm as Hermione trailed kisses along his shoulder and down his arm while he proceeded to suck on her neck, and the tops of her breasts. He moved faster and faster when they both felt that overwhelming sense of pleasure that was building up inside them._

 _Severus came to a slow halt as he emptied himself inside her while they Panted for breath. As soon as their breathing slowed down, Severus pulled out of her and layed down next to her as she cuddled against him._

 _They layed there for some time in each others embrace. Hermione with her head on his chest, and her arm draped over his waist as he lightly traced circles on her upper back with his fingertips._

 _Hermione smiled blissfully as she nuzled her head against his chest. Then her eyes lit up as she layed a soft kiss on his chest before she slowly rolled onto her side to look up at him._

 _"What?," Severus asked expectantly._

 _"I want to go talk to Dumbledore, today," Hermione stated eagerly as she sat up with her legs wrapped behind her._

 _Severus sat up to. leaning his right hand on the ground for balance as the other remained on her upper arm._

 _"Today? what's your hurry?," Severus asked thoughtfully as he trailed his hand down her arm._

 _"The sooner I am back home with you the better," Hermione replied sweetly with hopeful eyes as she moved her hand from his waist, up to his chest._

 _"As you wish," Severus said as he smiled lovingly at her before tangling his fingers in her hair, and gently pulling her closer to place a tender kiss on her lips._

 _Hermione moaned softly against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they slowly layed back down with her ontop of him while she pressed her breasts against his chest._

 _Severus gently squeezed her breasts again as their kiss deepened. Then he mischievously trailed his hand down her body, and suddenly, but gently enclosed his hand on her clitoris, and she gasped in surprise._

 _"Vengeance is sweet," Severus whispered in a silky voice into her ear as he started to fondle her._

 _Her breathing started to quicken again as he slowly rolled her onto her back as he continued to stroke her. She moaned uncontrollably. Clinging to the quilt as another wave a pleasure came over her._

" _That's right, my little lioness," Severus murmured seductively in a deep voice as she hitched her hips upwards._

 _He pulled his hand away moments later, and clensed it with a swift wave of his wand before pulling her into his arms again._

 _"I love you," Hermione panted breathlessly._

 _"I love you too," Severus whispered as he pressed a light kiss on her forehead._

 _They layed there in the sun. Listening to all the sounds of nature around them for what felt like ages before they eventually got dressed and started to pack up their stuff._

" _Thank you for bringing me here, it meant a lot to me," Hermione remarked softly as she picked up the blanket_.

 _"You're welcome, love," Severus replied with an adoring smile as he wrapped his arm around her._

 _"It meant a lot to me too," He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes._

 _Hermione blushed as she lightheartedly smacked his shoulder. Which made him chuckle._

 _"Would you like to walk my old trail back home?," Severus asked with a smirk as he motioned towards the trees ahead of them._

 _Hermione looked thoughtfully to where he was pointing, then smiled up at him._

 _"I'd love to," Hermione grinned in awe._

 _Severus smiled softly as he bent his head down to kiss her one more time before they started to make their way across the field, and through the trees as the sun shined down on them and the gentle summer breeze rustled through the tree tops._

 _They walked hand in hand for almost twenty minutes before they came into a clearing that led right into Severus's back yard. Severus turned and looked at Hermione like "I told you so", and she laughed as he led her through the back door._

 _Severus took the quilt from Hermione and he threw it in an empty basket in his hall closet. Then they made his way into his room._

 _"Alright, my dear, we are not going anywhere till we have washed off the smell of lake water," Severus remarked playfully as he pulled two towels out of the bathroom closet and set them on the countertop._

 _"Wouldn't want Albus to start asking questions would we?," He added with a smirk as he walked out of the bathroom to see Hermione smirking at him to._

 _"You just can't get enough of me, can you?," She teased seductively as she grasped both of his hands._

 _"Well you are quite, intoxicating," Severus replied in an amorous voice as he slid his hands around her waist, and down onto her butt._

 _Hermione beamed up at him as she stuck her tongue between her teeth while removing his hands, and walking around him to make her way into the bathroom where she slowly bent over to turn on the water._

 _Severus's eyes widened slightly as he watched her fix the temperature of the water before she stood up straight and immediately started to remove her clothes again while Severus watched wondrously as her clothes hit the floor, and she turned around to face him._

 _She smirked at the awestruck look on his face as she slowly approached him, and started to lead him back into the bathroom, where she pulled his shirt over his head, then she unbuckled his belt, then his zipper before slowly pulling his pants down. Then she tugged at his underwear, and watched as he removed them._

 _Hermione looked down and smiled before pulling Severus into the shower where she kissed him fervently underneath the hot water._

 _They finished their shower shortly aftwards. Wrapped in their towels.They exited the bathroom_.

' _Well I think I'm gonna floo home and dig out the old robes," Hermione remarked sarcastically with a soft smile._

 _Severus nodded thoughtfully as he raised his eyebrow._

 _"You could," He started slowly. "Or, you could wear this," He continued as he backed up to his wardrobe and pulled out a large white box from the bottom of it before handing it to her with a smug grin on his face._

 _Hermione looked at him in awe as she sheepishly took the box from him and set it down on his bed, and carefully pulled the top off to reveal a black floor legnthed dress with lantern sleeves, and a maroon cloak to go over it._

 ** _(Kinda like McGonagall's teaching robes)_**

 _Hermione gasped in surprise before she lightly trailed her fingertips along the fabric. Then she felt something hard underneath it, and she pulled it out to to reveal a small black jewlery box._

 _She turned to look wondrously up at him._

" _What is this?," Hermione asked curiously with questioning eyes._

 _Severus smirked down at her._

 _"Open it," He chuckled with loving eyes as she bit her lip before she slowly lifted the top up, and gasped again._

 _Inside the box sat a silver head of a lion._ _"Now you have your own brooch," Severus stated admiringly with a warm smile as Hermione looked up at him. Almost speechless._

 _"Oh, Severus, this is so sweet, but you didn't have to do this," Hermione declared softly in astonishment._

 _"Yes I did. Besides, when I saw them, I knew you had to have them," Severus asserted resolutely with a soft smile._

 _"And the lion?," Hermione asked inquiringly._

 _"Was a little bit harder to find I will admit," He cut in admittedly with a smirk before his expression turned serious._

 _"But it was worth it, you are worth it," He added sincerely with solemn dark eyes as she stared up at him. Awestruck._

 _Then she swiftly leaned up and kissed him as she held up her towel with one hand while the other cupped the left side of his face._

 _"I love you so much," Hermione murmured earnestly against his lips._

 _"Thank you, I love them," She added gratefully before continuing to kiss him passtionately._

 _"I love you too," Severus replied breathlessly as she smiled against his lips before kissing him one more time._

 _Then she pulled away, and beamed up at him as she picked up her new robes and headed into the bathroom._

 _Severus smiled as he wondered back over to his wardrobe and pulled out his usual black teaching attire._

 _By the time Hermione had finally emerged from the bathroom, Severus had just finished buttoning up the sleeves on his frock coat as he turned to face her, and he raised his eyebrows in admiration._

 _Hermione stood there in her new robes as she beamed up at him from the doorway. After she had gotten dressed she used her wand to magically dry her hair, and style it into a french twisted bun to the back of her head. Leaving out two curls to frame her face._

 _And the only make up she wore was a small tint of pink blush and red lipstick._

 _"Is the lipcolor too much?," Hermione asked sheepishly as she slowly approached him as he eyed her in amazement._

 _Then he carefully picked up her new brooch and gently pinned it to the front of her neck._

 _"You look absolutely perfect. You were born to wear this, and now you look like a potions mistress," Severus stated in awe as she smiled sweetly up at him._

 _"How did you know I would say yes?," Hermione asked questioningly._

 _"Because I know you. You have the intellect, the talent, and the heart for this job," Severus replied patently in sincerity as he grasped both her hands._

 _They kissed once more before she transfigured her wedges into a pair of black heeled faux suede ankle boots while Severus fetched his black cloak from his wardrobe._

 _"Are you ready?," Severus asked eagerly as he turned back around to face her._

 _Hermione took a deep breath before nodding her head at him as he walked over to her and held out his arm._

 _Hermione smiled at him as she grasped his arm just as they disapparated with a crack. Appearing outside the Hogwarts gates moments later._

 _As soon as Hermione finally layed her eyes on the castle she once called home, she suddenly became very anxious as she squeezed Severus's hand._

 _"Are you alright, love?," Severus asked softly in concern as he gazed down at her._

 _Hermione nodded in response._

 _"It looks the same, like nothing's changed," Hermione remarked with a pensive expression._

" _We tried to keep it that way, for the students sake," Severus stated solemnly._

 _Hermione smiled sadly up at him before she reached up to kiss him on the cheek._

 _"But we can't just forget that we all fought the biggest battle of our lives here," Hermione asserted patently with furrowed eyebrows._

 _Severus shook his head._

 _"You're right, we can't, but as survivors it is our job to live, to bring happiness back to a broken place," Severus proclaimed earnestly as he_ squeezed her hand reassuringly.

" _Do you really think we could be happy here again?," Hermione asked unsurely._

 _Severus nodded._

 _"I do," He replied softly in sincerity._

 _"This is our second chance to make things right, where it all went wrong" He continued soberly with an encouraging smile._

 _Hermione gazed lovingly up at him as she stood on her toes to hug him. Then she nodded at him._

 _"Okay, let's go," Hermione said resolutely as she grasped his hand once more._

 _Severus layed a tender kiss to the top of her head before they entered through the gates, and started up towards the castles front doors._

 _When they walked into the entrance hall they were immdeiately meeted by Poppy Pomphrey. Who had popped out of the doorway of the hospital wing at the sound of the large castle doors._

 _She gasped in shock at the sight of them._

 _Severus, I thought you weren't returning until late next week," Poppy exclaimed in surprise as she made her way over to them._

" _I was, but my plans changed quite suddenly," Severus replied with a smirk at Hermione, and she blushed._

 _"Oh, Miss Granger, I hardly recgonized you, dear," Poppy exclaimed again as she turned to face her._

 _"My, you look so grown up," she added in awe as Hermione blushed again while Severus continued to smirk._

" _What brings you back here?," Poppy asked curiously as Hermione and Severus glanced at each other._

 _"We've come to speak with Professor Dumbledore," Hermione replied kindly._

 _"We?, are you two together?," Poppy asked questionally as she motioned between the two of them._

" _We are, but we'd appreciate it if you let us tell the headmaster," Severus answered as Poppy raised her eyebrows before nodding her head._

 _"Should I let him know you are here then?," She suggested politely._

 _"Please," Hermione chimed in with a sweet smile as Poppy nodded at them before she made her way back into the hospital wing to floo the headmaster._

 _She returned moments later._

 _"He's ready for you," Poppy stated._

 _"Thank you, Poppy," Severus said gratefully with a nod of his head as he gently escorted Hermione up the stairs by the small of her back._

 _Poppy watched them until they were out of sight before returning to her office._

 _They didn't come across anyone else in the halls as they reached the eagle statue at the end of the corridor._

" _Butterscotch snaps," Severus said out loud to the statue as Hermione snickered at the annoyed look on his face because of Albus's silly candy cravings._

 _Seconds later the large eagle began to spin as they quickly stepped on as it brought them up to a large iron door._

 _"Alright, wait here til I come get you. Let's ease him into it,"_ _Severus said as he placed a soft kiss on top of her hand._

 _Hermione nodded_ , _but she stopped him before he could knock on the door._

 _"Severus, wait, what if he rejects me?,"_ _She murmured nervously as Severus turned to face her._

" _Hermione, I assure you, that will not happen," Severus stated softly to reassure her._

 _"How do you know?," Hermione asked quietly before Severus grasped her other hand._

 _"You were the best student in your generation that this school ever had, and if there was one moment where Albus thought you would come back, I am sure you would never hear thr end of it," Severus replied solemnly with a smirk as he squeezed her hands to comfort her._

 _Hermione chortled as she smiled knowingly up at him._

 _"Besides, he has no reason not to accept you, espically after he sees how stunning you look in your new teaching attire," Severus declared with a mischievious smirk_.

 _Hermione's jaw dropped in slight shock as she gaped at him._

 _"You really are such a slytherin_ _you know that_ ," _Hermione hissed_ _as Severus raised a playful eyebrow at her and she chortled while shaking her head at his smug expression._

 _Then he pressed a soft kiss onto her forehead as Hermione leaned into his touch before he raised one hand to knock on the door while the other gave her hand a reassuring squeeze when Albus's voice called him in from inside._ _Severus entered his office. Only leaving the door open enough for Hermione to hear as he approached the headmaster._

 _"Severus, my boy, you're back early," Albus Dumbledore spoke happily in surprise._

 _"I am," Severus proclaimed politely._

 _"You just couldn't stay away long enough to have a proper summer holiday, could you?," Albus scorned lightheartedly._

 _"You've caught me red handed, Albus," Severus replied sarcastically._

 _"Oh well, it's great to have you back, what can I do for you, Severus?," Albus said kindly._

 _Severus cleared his throat._

 _"I have a proposition I'd like to discuss with you, but first, I brought someone with me that you'll want to see," Severus stated while trying to hide his smile at the sudden eager look of curiousity on Albus's face as he turned to open the door, and he held out his hand to Hermione as she stepped inside._

 _Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise, delight, and disbelief._

 _"Miss Granger, what a delightful surprise, what brings you here?," Albus exclaimed eagerly as he walked around his desk, and sat down as Hermione and Severus's hands intertwined before they smiled over at him._

 _He eyed them thoughtfully before his eyes lit up and that same old twinkle gleamed in his blue eyes._

 _"Do my eyes deceive me?," Albus remarked incredulously as he fiddled with his half moon spectacles._

 _"No, Professor," Hermione beamed as Severus squeezed her hand._

 _"Well now, how marvelous," Albus exclaimed excitedly._

 _"I was beginning to lose all hope that you two would never speak again," He added in relief with a sad smile as they glanced knowingly at each other._

" _Thank merlin for that," Albus remarked._

 _"What can I do for you both?," Albus then asked curiously with that twinkle in his eyes._

 _Severus winked at hermione before he spoke._

 _"Headmaster, I wish to resign my position as potions master," Severus stated bluntly as Albus eyes widened in surprise._

 _"But only, if Hermione takes my place," He added earnestly as Hermione blushed._

 _"As potions mistress," Albus murmured thoughtfully as Severus nodded his head._

 _"We've never had a potions mistress before, no offense, my dear," Albus continued as Hermione smiled politely at him as she queezed Severus's hand._

 _"Why do you wish to resign?," He asked Severus in confusion._

" _I want to do more with my art then to be confined inside a classroom, you know this, Albus," Severus replied in a pertinacious voice as Albus sadly nodded his head._

 _"I guess I was just hoping you would change your mind," Albus remarked hopelessly as he stood and folded his hands in front of him._

 _"I have stayed longer then I intended to, Albus," Severus said apologetically as Albus nodded again before he flashed Hermione a knowing smile._

 _"Are you certain this is what you truly want, my boy?," Albus asked kindly with a fatherly smile._

 _"I do," Severus responded warmly as he nodded his head._

 _"What about you, my dear?," Albus asked as he turned to Hermione._

 _"Is this what you truly want?," He continued eagerly._

 _"Yes," Hermione replied resolutely as she smiled up at Severus._

 _"It is quite a challenging job, Miss Granger, I must warn you, you will have take over as head of slytherin house. Are you sure you are ready for this?," Albus asked inquiringly._

 _"No offence, Professor Dumbledore, But I'm a big girl, I can handle this job," Hermione asserted politely with a reassuring smile as Severus gazed down at her in astonisment, and He smirked at the slight taken aback expression on Albus's face._

 _"Oh I have no doubt, Miss Granger, I have absolute faith in you," Albus stated admiringly with a warm smile._

" _However, as for you being a gryffindor I'm sure some of the students will not take this news lightly, if you have any problems, please don't hesitate to report to me," Albus added in concern as he eyed Severus knowingly as Severus shifted his feet in slight apprehension._

 _Hermione nodded._

 _"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said sweetly_ _as Albus waved his hand dismissively._

 _"Ah, there's no need for etquettes, my dear, please, call me Albus," He proclaimed kindly as he approached her and gently grasped her other hand._

 _Hermione smiled sheepishly up at him._

" _Right, of course, Albus," Hermione murmured awkwardly as he smiled warmly at her before patting her hand._

 _"Welcome home, Hermione," Albus beamed._

 _"Thank you," Hermione replied gratefully as he winked at her before heading back to his desk._

 _"I must say, Hermione, you look very lovely in red," Albus remarked with a benevolent smile as he sat down in his chair._

 _"Courtesy of Severus, I suppose," He added knowingly as he glanced at Severus._

 _"Yes," Hermione said softly as she gazed lovingly up at him, and he almost grimaced at the awestruck looks they were giving him. Which made Albus chuckle._

 _"Well that's settled," Albus grinned as he clapped his hands together._

 _"Is there anything else that I can help you two with?," He asked eagerly as he interlocked his hands on his desk._

 _Hermione and Severus glanced at one another before Hermione took a step forward._

 _"Actually, Albus, I was hoping to return to Hogwarts entirely," Hermione stated hopefully._

 _"Exellent," Albus exclaimed excitedly._

 _"How soon were you expecting?," Albus inquired curiously._

 _"Tomorrow?," Hermione answered suggestively._

 _"Splendid, then I shall see you both tomorrow," Albus said gleefully as Hermione beamed up at Severus._

 _"Enjoy your packing, Hermione," Albus remarked warmly just as Fawks landed on his desk and he started to pet the top of his head._

 _Hermione grinned in response as she bowed her head before they started for the door. Hand in hand._

 _"Oh, and Severus," Albus called as they turned around to face him._

 _"I hope you find what you're looking for, my boy, I wish you the best of luck," Albus said earnestly as he approached them, and he shook Severus's hand._

 _"Just know, you always have a family here," He added lovingly as Hermione watched in awe as Severus's face softened in wonderment._

 _"Thank you, Albus," Severus replied solemnly with an appreciative smile as he bowed his head to express his gratitude._

 _"I assure you, Albus, I won't let him go far," Hermione remarked reassuringly before smirking mischievously up at Severus as he raised a playful eyebrow at her._

 _"Ah good," Albus said in relief as he beamed at the pair of them before they left his office._

 _As they were making their way back down to the entrance hall, they came face to face with Professor Minerva Mcgonagall as she was on her way back up to her office._

 _"Severus!, Miss Granger!," She exclaimed in surprise as she eyed the two of them as they stood there hand in hand._

 _"Hello, Professor," Hermione said sweetly._

 _"What are you doing here?," Minerva asked cheerfully as Hermione smiled at her. Than at Severus._

 _"We came to speak with Professor Dumbledore," Hermione replied as she squeezed Severus's hand again._

 _"We?," Minerva asked in bewilderment as she glanced down at their joined hands. Then she gasped._

 _"Oh my!, well it's about time," She exclaimed again excitedly._

" _I beg your pardon?," Severus asked in confusion._

 _"You're courting Hermione, of course, I told Albus that sending you home for the summer would be a great idea," Minerva replied with a knowing grin as Hermione blushed as Severus narrowed his eyes at her._

 _"Albus told you," Severus proclaimed accusingly as he sighed in slight irritation._

 _"He didn't have to, I mean the attraction between you two was plain to see. We thought it would only be a matter of time after the war, but apparently that was not the case," Minerva stated patently in defense as Hermione smiled sadly while Severus's shoulders tensed._

 _"What happened?," Minerva then asked earnestly._

 _"It's a long story," Hermione replied with a coy expression as her other hand grasped Severus's forearm._

 _"But I promise, I will explain everything tomorrow, prehaps we could have tea, and have a bit of a girl chat?," Hermione declared hopefully as Mcgonagalls face lit up._

 _"Oh yes, that would be wonderful," Minerva beamed as Severus furrowed his eyebrows._

 _"I don't know if I like the sound of that", Severus remarked uneasily as they laughed at him._

 _"Oh pish posh, Severus," Minerva said as she waved her hand at him dismissively._

 _"You'll be fine," She asserted insistently as Hermione let go of Severus's hand to covertly trail her hand down his back, and down onto his butt._

 _Severus tensed in slight shock as Hermione smiled innocently while avoiding his disturbed gaze._

 _"I can't wait to tell you the exciting news," Hermione continued joyfully._

 _"Terrific, I cannot wait," Minerva delcared with a perky smile as Hermione gently squeezed Severus's arse, and this time he jumped just as Hermione quickly pulled back her hand._

 _"Severus, are you alright?," Minerva asked in surprise as she arched an eyebrow at him while Hermione stared up at him with a tantalizing glint in her eyes._

 _"I'm fine," Severus answered brusquely as he flashed daggers at hermione._

 _"Very well, till tomorrow than," She remarked awkwardly as Hermione nodded at her before Minerva made her way down the corridor and around the corner._

 _As soon as she was out of sight Severus dragged Hermione around the corner, and into an emty room before quickly shutting the door behind her._ _"What sort of game are you trying to play?," Severus grumbled as he turned around to face her with his arms crossed over his chest._

 _"Nothing," Hermione replied softly as she shook her head._

 _Severus narrowed his eyes at her in disbelief. Then he slowly approached her._

" _D_ _o you have any idea what you've just started?," He asked warningly in a silky voice with a mischievous smirk as she gazed secductively up at him._

" _Remember my advise, Severus, choose your battles wisely," Hermione mumured with a smug grin as a torrid glint flickered in his dark eyes._

 _Then with a swift movement, Severus pulled Hermione into his arms before he pinned her back against the door as Hermione chortled. Then he quickly lifted up her dress to reveal her bare leg as he lifted it up to his waist before pressing his lips to hers in an ardent kiss._

" _Alright, Mr. Snape, we're getting distracted," Hermione teased as she gently pushed him away._

 _"I have a lot of packing to do before tomorrow," She added with a smug expression as Severus frowned at her._

 _"But don't worry, once we're finally settled in, we will have plenty of time to play," Hermione whispered silky while trailing her hands down his torso til she ran her hands along the length of his cock as Severus inhaled a sharp breath._

 _"Then what are we doing standing here," Severus muttered through his teeth as he motioned towards the door before swinging it open._

 _Hermione grinned at him as she walked past him and waited for him outside the door before he shut it, and they continued their way down into the entrance hall._

 _They waved to Poppy as they excited through the grand oak doors. Then they walked the path down to the front gates and disapparated with a loud crack._

 ** _(A/N Okay I'm finally done with chapter five. It's really long but oh well. That took forever! Hope you all liked it. To say they are smitten is an understatement! but they are in the honeymoon phase of their relationship That's for sure lol_**

 ** _Severus gave up his job for her. Isn't that sweet? :) and they are moving in together! eeep! lol I'll have chapter six up as soon as I can as I am still working on my two other stories. But this story will be continued. I promise!_**

 ** _Please only positive reveiws. I don't write on a computer, I write on my phone so it's a little harder, and plus all the other fonts look weird to me. I don't see why it matters if I write in italics or not._**

 ** _Anyway, thank you for reading!)_**

 ** _(To be continued...)_**


	6. Chapter six

**Hermione returns to Hogwarts.**

When they got back to Hermione's house, she immediately owled Minerva to let her know that she would be there for tea around ten. After that they spent all night packing up all her belongings, and shrinking her furniture to fit into her beaded bag. ;)

They finished around five am and with one last look around her house they decided to return to Severus's for a nap before they returned to Hogwarts.

They woke up a couple hours later around eight-thirty and just layed there. Cuddled up in each others embrace.

"Did that really just happen?," Hermione murmured in disbelief as she leaned her head onto Severus's chest.

Severus raised his eyebrow at her and he smiled.

"It did indeed," He replied calmly as he gently played with her hair.

"I can't believe I'm going back to Hogwarts, to teach no less!, it doesn't seem real," Hermione exclaimed incredulously.

"When are you going to tell Potter and Weasly?," Severus asked curiously as Hermione's eyes widened slightly.

"I almost forgot," Hermione mumbled against his chest. Then she sighed.

"I just want to enjoy my first day back without all their questions," She added regrettably as she placed her hand on his stomach.

"Does that make me a bad person?," Hermione asked worriedly as she lifted her head up to look at him.

"No, of course not," Severus delcared reassuringly as he caressed her cheek.

"You want to get settled in first, I am sure they will understand," He added in a soothing voice as Hermione sighed while she layed her head back down onto his chest.

They layed there for a few moments in a comfortable silence before Severus spoke again.

"What time do you want to leave?," He asked questioningly as he lightly brushed her hair away from her face.

"Hmmm," Hermione murmured softly against his chest in thought as she slowly opened her eyes.

"I am due for tea at ten, so we have an hour and a half to unpack everything," Hermione proclaimed softly as she smiled at the uneasy expression on Severus's face.

"You're not going to talk about me are you?," Severus asked anxiously as Hermione sat up to look at him.

"Of course I am," Hermione smirked teasingly as Severus grimaced.

"Why does that bother you?, Are you afraid that I am going to tell her that you are a god in the bedroom?," she teased as she stuck her tongue between her teeth.

Severus's eyes widened in horror.

"That is exactly why it bothers me," He exclaimed in trepidation before He got out a bed while Hermione laughed.

"Severus," She called. "I'm kidding," She added. Still giggling.

"Hermione, please do not discuss our sex life with Minerva," Severus requested as he turned to face her with pleading eyes.

"Oh come on, Severus, lighten up, it'd hardly be a girl chat if we didn't talk about you," Hermione protested encouragingly as she crawled out from under the blankets and sat on her knees at the edge of the bed in front of him.

Severus shifted on his feet, then gazed down at her as she curled her fingers around the belt loops on his trousers.

"Why do you have to talk about me?," Severus asked inquiringly as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Because I love you, because you make me happy, " Hermione declared earnestly with loving eyes.

"Come on, Severus, I need to gush!," Hermione wined with a pouty face.

Severus's face softened, and he chuckled at her.

"I'm completely serious," Hermione stated solemnly as he took a step closer and kneeled down to gaze into her chestnut eyes.

"You don't have to hide behind a stone wall anymore, remember?," Hermione added softly as Severus smile shrunk.

"You are going to be starting your own business soon. You're going to be meeting thousands of new people, you will be able to start fresh, and build a new reputation," Hermione explained fervently in excitement with awestruck eyes.

"You can show everyone who you really are," Hermione mumured in admiration while Severus displayed an expression of uncertainty, and apprehension.

"What if who I really am is cruel, and heartless?," Severus suggested as Hermione frowned at him.

"Don't say that," Hermione exclaimed. "Obviously you know that's not true," She added patently with furrowed eyebrows as Severus lowered his head.

"Why are you so afraid to let people in?," Hermione asked softly in curiosity as Severus continued to stare down at his hands in reluctance.

"Because I do not want to give people the opportunity to betray me, to pretend, because they pity me," Severus finally replied admittedly with a bitter tone.

"Severus, you can't spend your whole life worrying if someone is going to betray you, yes, there will be times where you'll wonder if you can trust the people you let in, but you have to move on. The time for worrying is in the past," Hermione declared encouragingly as she gently grasped his hand before he lifted his head to look into her eyes.

"And you must not blame yourself for others poor judgement, it's their loss, not yours. They don't deserve to have your kindness, your loyalty, or your friendship," Hermioned added in awe with a warm smile.

Severus smiled at her in admiration.

"When did you get so brilliant?," He murmured as he carassed her cheek.

"Probably the moment I learned how to read," Hermione suggested wittily while she pretended to look thoughtful as he twirled a strand of her hair.

Severus laughed as she smiled adoringly down at him. Then she leaned in and layed a soft kiss on his lips.

Moments passed, and their kiss deepened as she pressed herself to him when he moved to stand up. Sitting up on her knees again as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Than she pulled him down ontop of her as she moaned softly into his mouth.

A low growl sounded in his throat when she started to grind her hips against him.

"I thought you said there was no time to play," Severus accused breathlessly against her lips.

"Don't make me beg, Severus," Hermione mumbled into his ear as she started trailing kisses down his neck.

Severus smirked.

"But I want to hear...you beg," He whispered silkly back into her ear.

"I don't beg," Hermione stated seductively against his mouth before she slowly leaned back, and layed flat onto the bed as she twisted her arms around her back and unclasped her pink lace bra.

Severus gazed down at her with wide eyes as she threw her bra onto the floor behind him. Then he tensed as he got that uncomfortable sensation in his trousers while she layed in only her matching underwear.

"You know you want me, why are you trying to fight it," Hermione remarked teasingly as she ran her hands down his arms before glancing knowingly down at the buldge in his pants with a smug grin.

Severus snarled before leaning down to kiss her frantically as she tugged on his trousers. He quickly took them off before towering over her as he slowly pulled at the rim of her underwear. Pulling them down untill he slipped them off and threw them onto the floor.

Then he crawled in between her legs as she pressed herself to him. Then within seconds he slipped himself inside her and began to thrust as she moaned Uncontrollably into his ear.

She began to move in pace with him as she hitched her hips upwards. Making him groan into her neck. He came into her minutes later.

He collapsed ontop of her moments later. Breathing erratically as he placed a tender kiss upon her right collar bone. She gasped suddenly when he pulled out of her a moment later.

They layed there for a few more moments before she reluctantly got out of bed as Severus lifted his head with a smirk as he watched her wonder around his room in the nude while she gathered her under garments and a fresh pair of clean clothes.

Then she walked into his bathroom and closed the door behind her. By the time Hermione shut the water off, Severus was already dressed in his usual black teaching attire.

She stepped out of the bathroom a couple minutes later dressed in a pair of denim jeans, and a white button up blouse that hugged her curves. She had left the few top buttons undone, and She rolled her sleeves up. Pinning them up to her elbows, and her hair flowed in loose curls around her face and shoulders.

Hermione walked over to the bed, and reached down to pick up her sneakers before slipping them on. Then she turned to Severus with a nervous smile as he stared lovingly down at her as he walked over to her and grabbed both of her hands. Pulling her up off the bed before cupping both sides of her face, and placing a tender kiss on her lips.

"You look radiant, as always," He purred as he rested his forehead against hers.

Hermione smiled as she closed her eyes in bliss. They remained like that for another moment before Severus pulled back to gaze down at her.

"Are you ready?," He asked softly as he gently squeezed her hands.

Hermione sighed.

"Yes," She beamed.

Severus winked at her as he stepped away from her and grabbed her beaded bag off his bedside table, and handed it to her with a look of encouragement.

"You can do this," Severus declared reassuringly as he gently squeezed her shoulders.

Hermione looked at her bag, then up at him.

"I know," She murmured softly as he raised his eyebrow at her. "Because I have you with me," She added sweetly as she gazed lovingly into his eyes.

Severus gazed down at her in awe before leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. Then he took a step back and held out his hand.

Hermione smiled as she wrapped her bag around her shoulder. Then she took his hand as he lead her out of the room.

They flooed straight to Hogwarts. Stepping out of the fireplace, into Severus's old quarters. They were Hermione's now. After all. She just had a long term roommate. ;)

Hermione gazed around the room. It hadn't changed a bit. From the rows of bookshelves that lined up against every wall, to the black leather couches and chairs in the middle of the room, To the green basil colored walls. Hermione smiled. She was home.

Then she suddenly turned and pulled Severus to her, and kissed him fiercely. He tensed in surprise, but Hermione didn't care.

"I love you," She whispered breathlessly as Severus's hands clung to her waist.

"I love you too," Severus intoned once he had got some of his breath back.

Hermione grinned. Then turned to examine the room once more.

Not wanting to change anything. She decided to find somewhere else for her couches. She quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the direction of their room. Stopped in the doorway, and pulled out her wand as she slipped her bag off her shoulder.

The room was rather large. There was a full sized bathroom to their right, and the walls were a matching basil color, and a large poster bed sat in the middle of the room with black silk bedding on it. Matching pillows were lined up against their headboard, and in the far right corner of the room sat a large dark wooden wardrobe. She would leave that for Severus.

She sat her bag on the floor, and waved her wand three times. Within a second, miniaturized objects started to lift up out of her bag while they slowly transformed back into normal size. All her clothes and shoes layed themselves out onto their bed, and her books placed themselves onto the large bookshelf in the far left corner, on the other side of the bed.

Then lastly, she waved her wand again and a small object floated up out of her bag, and grew to its original size. A second later Hermione levitated her wooden wardrobe into the far left corner directly next to her. She examined its lighter shade, and smirked at Severus. Then with a flick of her wand, and a muttered spell, her wardrobe changed its color to match Severus's.

"Oh! l almost forgot!," Hermione exclaimed with a big grin as she flicked her wand again, and all her clothes and shoes lifted up off the bed and zoomed into her open wardrobe. Hanging themselves up while her shoes set themselves into a perfect row.

Severus chuckled as he watched her with a warm smile.

"You are welcome to change the color," He then remarked light heartedly with a smirk as he eyed the green walls while Hermione bent down to pick up her purse.

She looked around thoughtfully for a few moments before turning to him.

"No, this color is made for the head of house, they're perfect the way they are," Hermione replied solemnly with a sweet smile.

Severus beamed at her before he closed the distance between them. Cupping both sides of her face as he kissed her fervently while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

They continued like that for several minutes, and all Severus wanted to do was ravage her right then and there, but unfortunately it was almost ten and Hermione was due for tea with Minerva.

"I have to go," Hermione breathed against his lips as she lightly cupped both sides of hia face.

"It's alright, I have some loose ends to tie up with Albus," Severus replied with a soft smile as he kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. She smiled as he took a step back and they both made their way out of their quarters.

They entered the entrance hall, and made their way up the staircase to the first floor. They stopped at the entrance of the defense against the dark arts tower.

"I'll see you later," Hermione said as she squeezed his hand, then placed a soft kiss on his cheek when he shifted uneasily before nodding at her. Then they parted ways as she continued up into the tower, and Severus made his way up to the seventh floor.

Hermione walked down the first floor of the tower till she reached a large wooden door on the left. She took a deep breath before raising her hand to knock on the door. The door opened seconds later and a very cheerful Minerva answered the door.

"Always on time, Ms. Granger," Minerva exclaimed as Hermione beamed at her.

"Please, come in," She encouraged as she swiftly stood aside to let Hermione in.

"I just made tea, would you like some now?," Minerva asked kindly.

"Yes, thank you," Hermione replied sweetly as she sat down in the chair in front of her desk while Minerva poured the tea into two cups before handing hermione her cup.

"Thank you," Hermione said again as she blew on her tea before slowly taking a sip.

Minerva nodded at her as she to sipped her tea before setting her cup down excitedly.

"So, what is the great news?," Minerva asked in eager curiosity. Practically jumping in her seat.

Hermione chortled.

"You really don't like to waist time, Professor," Hermione remarked light heartedly as she set her tea on her desk.

"I'm an old woman, dearie, I do not want to wait," Minerva said as she waved her hand dismissively. Then leaned forward in her chair, and waited expectantly.

Hermione smiled as she shook her head.

"Well, first things first," She started as she tensed at the slight butterflies in her stomach. "Severus and I...are finally together," She continued with a blush as Minerva's face lit up.

"I knew it!," She exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.

Hermione bit her lip to hide her grin.

"And the reason..we were here yesterday is because...I am taking over as potions mistress, and the head of Slytherin house," Hermione revealed cautiously with a shy smile.

McGonagalls eyes widened.

"You're what!?," She exclaimed in profound astonishment as Hermione blushed again.

"What about Severus?," She uttered in surprise and confusion.

"He wants to do more with his art, Professor, he's resigned for me, so I can do more with mine," Hermione explained in awe as she thought of Severus.

McGonagall sat there almost speechless. Looking like she was fighting the erge to squeal happily or cry.

"He's leaving," She finally spoke as more of a statement then a question with saddened eyes.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, he is going to stay here to help me, and then eventually...he will start his own potion business, and I'll take over on my own. Neither of us are going anywhere," Hermione gushed excitedly to reassure her.

"We are already moved in," She quickly added as Minvera took a sip of her tea, and had nearly spit it out in shock.

"Oh my, now it is you youngins that do not waist time," She exclaimed as she beamed at Hermione as she set her cup back down on her desk.

Hermione laughed.

"I have been wanting this for so long, I-," Hermione started happily before Minerva cut her off.

"I know, my dear," Minerva proclaimed knowingly with a warm smile before she held her hands up to her mouth as she regarded Hermione in excitement.

"Head of Slytherin house," She murmured softly in disbelief.

"I know," Hermione breathed as she shook her head. "It still hasn't sunk in yet," She added as she chortled happily.

"You will be the first Gryffondor...in Hogwarts history...to take on this position," Minerva stated eagerly. as a matter of fact.

"I know," Hermione squealed as she laughed into her hands.

"I would be concerned..if it were someone else, but the minute you entered this castles doors, you have proven to be fearless, hard working, and incredibly talented. I can not imagine anyone else taking Severus's place," Minvera declared earnestly with kind eyes.

Tears pricked Hermione's eyes, and she quickly blinked them away before glancing back up at Her Professor. Awe-struck.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione murmured admiringly.

McGonagall waved her hand at her again.

"Please, call me Minerva," She said kindly as Hermione nodded nervously.

"Thank you...Minerva," Hermione replied sheepishly, but Minerva snickered.

"You will get use to it," She stated reassuringly as she reached forward to grab her cup, and sip her tea again.

Hermione sipped her tea to, and they both remained silent for a few moments before Minerva regarded her curiously. Hermione could tell she wanted to question her.

Minerva opened her mouth, then closed it again. " _Here we go,"_ Hermione thought knowingly to herself. Smirking mentally as Minerva opened her mouth to speak. Hopefully Severus wouldn't be too upset with her. ;)

"So, you and Severus," She started awkwardly as Hermione smiled at her.

"When did that happen?," She asked curiously.

"Well, it's a long story, um-," Hermione responded thoughtfully with a blush as she puffed out a breath that turned into a giggle.

"I got time," Minerva said as she beamed at her over her tea cup.

Hermione giggled like a little girl.

"Well, as you know, it started five years ago," Hermione began. "We never meant for this to happen, but, you know Severus, things never added up. As a teacher, why would he do the things he did for us, that was the question I kept asking myself," Hermione paused. Deep in thought as Minerva studied her knowingly.

"Then I began to realize, that behind the cold mask her wore, there was a good man waiting to get out. I noticed it more and more, and one day after class in my sixth year, I confronted him," Hermione said as Minerva's eyes widen slightly.

"How did that go?," She asked knowingly in apprehension.

"Not very well, I'll admit," Hermione scoffed as Minerva Smirked behind her cup as Hermione continued.

"But I didn't back down," She declared resolutely as Minerva snickered into her tea as she imagined the scene in her mind.

"After everything that Harry had told me about his occlumency lessons with Severus, it all clicked, and I told Severus I knew why he was protecting Harry, I finally found out why he did what he did, and I fell in love with him for it," Hermione continued adoringly.

"He made me sware not to tell anyone, but after that, we worked together to do everything to help Harry," Hermione stated with a soft smile. Then paused as her expression changed, and she glanced down at her hands.

"The night before we left with Dumbledore to destroy the horcruxes, I went to Severus, and basically poured my heart out to him, and He kicked me out. I thought he felt the same way, I thought how could I have been so wrong," Hermione confessed to her with sad eyes in rememberance as she slowly shook her head.

McGonagall's eyes widen again then filled with saddness for her former pupil.

"But then, during the battle, he kissed me, and it was amazing," Hermione murmured as her eyes gleamed lovingly.

"Well, then what happened?," Minerva asked in confusion.

"Nothing. I guess with all the buzz of Voldemorts downfall, we didn't want anymore attention, so I left. I thought he would come for me, but he never did, so we spent five years completely miserable," Hermione answered sadly in regret.

"Then a couple weeks ago, we ran into each other at a pub in London, I was actually waiting on a date that never showed, and Severus walked in, and... from the moment I saw him, all the memories came back," Hermione continued with a sigh as Minerva listened attentively.

"We talked, and we had a few drinks, Severus got drunk," She murmured as Minerva sighed while rolling her eyes.

"I honestly think he was drunk before he showed up," Hermione remarked quietly with a small smirk.

"He-, he confronted me right then and there, and I-, I was not ready to talk about it, especially while he was intoxicated, I-" Hermione stammered as McGonagall squeezed her hand.

"You did the right thing," Minerva stated softly as Hermione chewed on her lip.

"I invited him to my house two days later. He was sober, thankfully, but I'm not sure if that was any better," Hermione stated quietly with furrowed eyebrows as she thought back to that day.

Hermione exhaled deeply.

"We shouted, and we argued, we were so angry, we both thought that we had lost interest," She muttered in dejection.

"Oh, my dear," Minerva intoned softly as she reached forward and gently grasped her hand.

"Can I be honest with you?," She asked.

Hermione nodded.

"You and Severus, are the most stubborn people I have ever met," She started as Hermione glanced down at her desk.

"But I saw him, he rarely came to dinners, barely left his quarters when he wasn't in class, and whenever we did see him, he was always drunk, and he never spoke. He always kept to himself," Minerva added in sorrow for her friend as Hermione bowed her head. Guilt-ridden.

"He is in love with you, I think he always has been," She cooed with a warm smile as she lightly tapped her hand.

Hermione smiled as tears welled up in her eyes, and they trickled down her cheek when she looked down at their hands.

"He told me that he lied that night, he told me he loved me," Hermione exclaimed with an exuberant grin. Then her cheeks flushed pink.

Minerva smiled at her as she slowly nodded her head knowingly.

"You slept together," Minerva asserted patently as she intertwined her hands together.

Hermione blushed as she nodded.

"Yes," She murmured happily as she nentally perparerd herself for Minerva's next question.

"Well, how was it," She asked curiously as Hermione chortled.

" _Forgive me, Severus,"_ Hermione thought mentally to herself as she bit her lip.

"It was incredible, he's amazing," Hermione gushed with a big grin.

Minerva laughed as she clapped her hands together.

"I'm happy for you, dear, you both deserve to be happy," She declared kindly.

"He would kill me if he found out I told you," Hermione laughed.

"Then it is our little secret," she replied sneakily over her tea cup.

Hermione laughed.

"You know Severus, he will find out," Hermione said as she took a sip of her tea.

Minerva smirked.

They talked for a big longer while they finished their tea, then Minerva walked her out, and they made their way out of the tower only to run into Severus and Albus as they were making their way down the corridor.

Hello, Albus, Severus," Minerva greeted cheerfully as she flashed Hermione a quick smile.

Severus narrowed his eyes at Minerva, then at Hermione who smiled innocently at him.

"Minerva, we were just on our way down to the great hall for lunch, would care to join us?," Albus asked gleefully as he held out his arm to her.

"Of course, Albus, She replied as she took his arm and they started walking before turning back to Hermione and Severus.

" We will catch up," Severus stated politely. Eying Hermione as she smiled down at her feet. They nodded and continued making their way down the corridor before turning the corner. Out of sight.

They stood in silence for a moment as Hermione continued to stare at the floor.

Severus raised his eyebrow at her.

"Well, how was tea?," Severus asked inquiringly.

"It was lovely," Hermione replied sweetly as she finally gazed up at him, and his eyebrow quirked at her.

"Mhmm," Severus hummed in disbelief.

"What did you tell her?," Severus questioned as Hermione crossed her arms.

"Nothing," Hermione stated defensively as Severus narrowed his eyes at her again.

"You expect me to believe that," He said as he smirked when Hermione shifted from one foot to the other.

"What did she say when you told her you were taking my place as head of house?," He asked with a smug smirk. He would have loved to see her reaction.

"She was quite sad, actually," Hermione answered softly as Severus's eyebrows shot up in shock.

"But she's happy that I am the one to take on the position, she said she couldn't imagine anyone else taking your place," She added in awe as Severus's face softened in respect for the older witch.

"Don't you see how loved you are?," Hermione whispered lovingly as she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. Pulling him closer as he stared warmly down at her as a sudden gleam of realization flashed in his eyes.

Hermione beamed up at him before leaning up on her tip toes, and placing a soft kiss on his lips. Severus's hands came up to rest on her hips, and he squeezed them gently when she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

"I know what you are doing," He stated knowingly a minute later after he reluctantly broke off the kiss.

Hermione gazed up at him and pretended to look innocent, and confused.

"I-, I don't know what you are talking about," Hermione stammered as she knitted her eyebrows together.

Severus raised his eyebrow at her in disbelief as he tightened his grip on her hips.

"You are trying to distract me," He declared as Hermione slightly cocked her head to the side.

"Why would I be trying to distract you?," She asked in puzzlement. Though in her mind she was going, " _Oh shit, oh shit."_ Severus gave her a hard look. Then he smirked mischievously before he swiftly grabbed her by her upper arms and gently shoved her up against the wall. Pinning her there with his body pressed against hers. Caught off guard. Hermione gasped in surprise.

That was exactly his plan. Because now her confused facade was gone, and she stared up at him in shock. He smirked again.

"What did you tell her about us?," He asked in a firm voice as Hermione tensed against his body.

"You know," Hermione murmured thoughtfully. "This position feels oddly familiar," She remarked silkly as Severus glared at her, and she smirked smugly.

"Do not test me," He growled. Squeezing her arms a little when a look of seduction gleamed in her chestnut eyes.

"Severus, I have no idea, what you are talking about, but we are going to be late, they are going to think that something happened to me," Hermione asserted anxiously as she went to leave but Severus quickly pulled her back by her arm.

A low growl rose in his throat.

"Something will happen to you, if you do not tell me the truth," He snarled as Hermione smirked playfully at him.

"What are you going to do?," She quirked as she looked him up and down. "Ravage me to death?," She grinned as she gazed wickedly into his dark eyes.

Severus glared down at her as he bit the insides of his mouth. _"Merlin, this woman is intoxicating,"_ Severus grumbled mentally as she continued to smirk at him.

Then she wriggled free from his grip, and began walking down the corridor before calling to him over her shoulder.

"Come along, my little sex god," She called teasingly in a voice as if you were talking to an animal or a child. Grinning uncontrollably as she continued walking down the corridor.

Severus's eye's widened in shock before he snarled. Plotting his revenge as he slowly began to follow her down to the great hall.

Once they entered the great hall, they made their way past some of the remaining students that stayed at the school all year round because they lost their families in the battle of Hogwarts.

Hermione smiled kindly at them as their eyes lit up when they finally noticed the war heroine, and the third member of the golden trio. She waved to a few of them as she past. Few of the professors were still on holiday, and had not returned yet, but the few that did beamed at Hermione in surprise when they saw her. Smiling happily at her as her and Severus took their seats at the head table. Hermione took a seat in the chair on Minerva's right, and Severus was sat on Albus's right.

Hermione glanced down the table, and smiled at the few teachers seated. Professor Sprout sat up in her chair eagerly and nodded at her. Poppy Pumphrey settled on a warm smile before turning back to her meal, and Professor Flitwick waved cheerfully. Hermione waved back before turning back to Minerva.

"What took you so long? I thought I was going to have to send out a search party," Minerva remarked quietly in relief as Hermione smirked at her. Then she smirked over at Severus as he flashed her daggers.

"Severus got a bit suspicious," Hermione whispered as they both glanced over at him, and he glared.

"A bit?," Minerva breathed uneasily as Hermione beamed at her.

"Alright, a lot suspicious," She grinned as Minerva's eye's widened slightly in surprise at Hermione's playfullness.

"You are quite brave, my dear," Minerva stated in astonishment as Severus glared them down.

Hermione smiled, then turned to smirk at Severus.

"He's harmless," Hermione said with a raise of her eyebrow as Severus's face darkened. Albus chuckled into his goblet.

"I wish you luck tonight," Minerva responded worriedly at Severus's glowering gaze.

"I won't need it," Hermione replied smugly as she flashed Severus a smile, and He scowled. Making the three of them chuckle amongst each other.

" _Oh she'll need it alright, damn them,"_ Severus growled mentally as they all continued dishing themselves up, and devouring their lunch. Severus chewed harder then usual.

Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice before turning to address the Headmaster.

"I think it is really kind of you to allow the students to stay, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione declared softly in admiration as she eyed the remaining students in the hall.

Albus turned to smile at her.

"Ah, please, call me Albus, Hermione," He replied. Looking a bit put out.

Hermione blushed.

"Right, sorry, Albus," Hermione murmured apologetically as Dumbledore beamed at her.

"Hogwarts will always be home..to those who have walked it's halls, Hermione," Albus declared softly with twinkling eyes as he winked at her, then at Severus.

Hermione returned a loving smile before turning to finish her meal.

Everyone finished their lunch a short while later, and they were just chatting amongst each other when Hermione turned to Minerva.

"Where is Hagrid?," She asked curiously upon not seeing him when she had entered the great hall earlier.

But just before Minerva could respond, as if on cue, Hagrid came marching through the the door. Into the hall. Her face lit up immediately, and his eye's Widened in great surprise when he saw her. Everyone laughed light heartedly as she quickly got up and made a beeline from the table. Severus watched her curiously as she ran towards the half giant, and threw herself into his strong embrace.

She squealed happily while laughing as he gently swung her round. Carefully as to not hurt her.

"Hagrid! I have missed you so much!," She exclaimed excitedly with a bright smile as she held onto his arms after he set her down.

"I've missed ya to, Mione!, I thought ya never were comin' back! what are yer doin' here?," Hagrid replied happily. Still in surprise.

Hermione smiled up at the heads table as Dumbledore winked at the two of them.

"It's a surprise," Hermione grinned as she held her index finger up to her lips.

"Come on!," She squealed as she tugged on his hand, and he followed behind her.

Severus watched them with an odd expression as they practically bounced up to the head table. He couldn't help feeling slightly jealous at how excited she was to see him. Though he knew she had no romantic feelings for him. He was one of her best friends.

They stopped in front of the head table as Albus stood to greet his friend.

"All the unicorns are rounded up fer the start o' term, headmaster," Hagrid stated as Albus nodded at him with a warm smile.

"Excellent," Albus said proudly as he patted Hagrid on the shoulder.

"Unicorns!," Hermione exclaimed in awe.

"Oh yes, we jus 'ad a baby one join the 'eard," Hagrid stated excitedly as Hermione beamed at him in awe.

"After lunch, if ya want, I can take ya's down ter see em," He offered hopefully.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him, but before she could answer Albus cut in by resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Actually, Hagrid, before you do that, Hermione here has some very exciting news to share with the rest of you," He asserted kindly as he winked at a blushing Hermione before turning to the table and then motioning for Severus to join them.

Severus slowly stood, and joined them at Hermione's side. She glanced sheepishly up at him as he smirked at her.

"What's goin' on?," Hagrid asked curiously as he watched them in confusion while he waited expectantly for one of them to speak.

"Which one of you would like to do the honors?," Albus asked the couple with twinkling eyes as Hermione blushed when all eye's landed on them.

Severus rolled his eyes at Albus as he grinned back at him in response. Hermione cleared her throat before nervously opening her mouth to speak.

"Um," She murmured awkwardly. Chortling softly as she gazed up at Severus, and he nodded encouragingly at her.

"Uh, Severus and I...have begun courting, and-," Hermione started loud and clear before Severus chimed in, in a firm voice.

"I have resigned my position as Potions Master, and Head of Slytherin house," He paused to eye some of the remaining Slytherin students with a hard gazed before continuing.

"To start my own potions business. Hermione will be taking my place," He declared as he gazed down at her with a warm smile as he slowly slipped his larger hand into her smaller one. She smiled thankfully up at him.

Everyone in the room besides Albus and Minerva gasped in shock. They smiled at each other as everyone stared at Severus and Hermione. Including Hagrid. Who's mouth fell agape as he gazed down at their intertwined hands.

"Aye, uh, wow," Hagrid uttered as he tried to compose himself over the shock while Hermione smiled adoringly at him.

"Congratulations Pe'rfessor Snape," Hagrid said politely as he gently shook his hand.

"It's Severus now, Hagrid," Severus replied kindly as Hermione squeezed Severus's hand in awe.

Hagrid smiled in return before turning to Hermione.

"An' you, Mione, congratulations," He said with a warm smile. Although Hermione could see, there was a million questions circling in his big brown eyes.

"To the both of yas," He quickly added sincerely.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Hermione said softly with a sweet smile before gazing lovingly up at Severus, who leaned down and pressed a light kiss on her temple. Hermione closed her eyes in content, but when she opened them she noticed something circling in Severus's eye's to.

Mischief.

Hermione smiled knowingly as she turned back to Hagrid. Who shifted his feet awkwardly.

"So, eh, if yer not ter busy, an' it's alright with Severus o' course, would ya still like ter see the baby unicorn?," Hagrid asked anxiously as he motioned to Severus. Then gazed back at Hermione with hopeful eyes.

Hermione beamed at him as Severus smirked. Although truly did appreciate Hagrids concerns of his feelings. He was about to open his mouth to speak but Hermione cut him off.

"I would love to," Hermione replied eagerly as she grinned at Severus when he rose his eyebrow at her.

Severus slightly narrowee his eyes at her. Then nodded at the two of them. Hermione quickly leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek before practically jumping away from him as Hagrid stepped off the steps to the headstable.

Then Hagrid and Hermione began making their way out of the hall as Severus watched in vexation.

"Let her go, Severus, let them talk," Albus remarked kindly as he patted Severus's shoulder.

"Yes, about me," He grumbled in petulance as Albus chuckled.

"You better get use to it, my boy," Albus stated light heartedly as he squeezed Severus's shoulder. Chuckling again when Severus's eye's widened in indignation. Then he stormed off to wait for Hermione in their private quarters.

 **Meanwhile...**

When Hermione and Hagrid were trekking down the long path to the forbidden forest, he cleared his throat to speak.

"So, yer an' Snape are a-," Hagrid started awkwardly before Hermione spoke.

"A couple, yes," She replied sheepishly staring at the ground as she awaited more questions.

"How long have yer been together?," He asked curiously.

"A couple weeks now," Hermione murmured with a blush as Hagrid glanced keenly down at her as they walked.

"How did that happen?, I thought ya hated him?," He asked in confusion.

"No," Hermione said as she shook her head. "You were right about him, Hagrid, he was never trying to hurt us, he is a good man, and I misjudged him completely," She added in regret as Hagrid regarded her in curiosity.

"When did this happen?," He questioned in regards of her change of heart.

"Five years ago," Hermione answered in hesitation before tensing knowingly.

"Five years ago!, while yer were still in ya sixth year!," Hagrid exclaimed in surprise.

Hermione nodded.

"After Harry told me about his lessons with Severus, that's when I realized why he was helping us, why he continuously risked his life to save us," She explained in admiration.

"I confronted him on it, and it took a lot of convincing, but...he finally agreed to team up to figure out a way to help Harry defeat Voldemort," She continued as Hagrids eye's Widened in shock.

"And...during that time, I-, I fell in love with him," Hermione declared softly as Hagrid furrowed his eyebrows.

"Wait, what about Ron?," He exclaimed in bewilderment as he stopped in his tracks.

Hermione stopped, and sighed as she gazed down at the ground once again.

"The thing with Ron and I, was a phase, it wasn't meant to be, Hagrid," She stated earnestly with soft eyes. Hoping he would understand.

He nodded before they started walking again.

"So, what happened with yer an' Snape?," Hagrid asked in perplexity.

Hermione exhaled.

"I confessed my feelings to him the night before we left with Dumbledore, and he told me to leave. Then he kissed me during the battle, and he had this look in his eyes and It made me think for one moment that he cared for me, but he never expected for us to survive," Hermione stated shakily in remembrance.

"That was the only reason why he kissed me," She whispered before pausing to collect herself.

"Ah, I'm sorry, mione," Hagrid spoke gently with sad eyes as he placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"My head was in a whirl, and with all the reporters, and the ministry officials sworming around, it just made everything worse," She exclaimed in frustration.

"Why did ya leave?," Hagrid asked as he glanced sadly at her. He's been wanting to know himself for quite a long time.

"I waited for him at grimwald place for a week. When he never showed, I realized, that it was a humored kiss, a goodbye kiss. He never cared for me. So I left,"

"But it wasn't was it?," Hagrid asked knowingly as Hermione bowed her head.

"No," She breathed as she shook her head before inhaling a sharp breath.

"Turns out he was waiting for me, and we were both just being stubborn," Hermione said as exhaled a breath that turned into a laugh.

"Five years, Mione!," Hagrid exclaimed scoldingly in shock.

"I know!," She cried.

"We broke each other's hearts, and it was all for nothing!, we waisted so much time," She declared in regret, and anger towards herself before laughing at their own behavior.

Hagrid sighed heavily as he shook his head.

"Well, yer seem to be fine now, how did ya two's come together?," He asked as they entered the forest.

"Well, the truth is, I tried to move on from Severus, I had a boyfriend but, I think he was just a distraction," Hermione replied. Full of guilt.

Hagrid's raised his eyebrows in surprise, and she continued because of his questioning gaze.

"His name was Michael. He was a muggle I met at one of my friends birthday partys. At first he was always there for me, he was kind and funny, but then he couldn't even show up for a date," She explained with an annoyed sigh.

"That's how I ended up at a pub in London, I was waiting for Michael, and that's when Severus walked in," She added as she was consumed deep in thought while Hagrid waited patiently for her to continue.

"We talked and, we had a few drinks, but Severus was drunk, and he started interrogating me. I couldn't handle it, so I left, again," Hermione continued with more bitterness towards herself.

"I invited him over two days later when he was sober, and...we fought," She stated quietly as Hagrid listened attentively. Then she smiled.

"He told me he loved me, he told me he lied, that he's always loved me," She exclaimed happily as she started to laugh.

"That's amazin' Mione," Hagrid beamed as he carefully hugged her while she continued to giggle into his chest.

"So, eh, what happened ter Michael?," Hagrid asked moments later as they came into a clearing in the forest.

Hermione tensed. Staring straight forward into the woods before reluctanly answering him.

"He uh, he showed up at my house, later that day...after Severus and I..-," She started slowly before pausing with a blush.

Hagrid gasped.

"You did not?," He breathed in disbelief as Hermione gazed sheepishly up at him. Her eyes said it all.

"Merlins beard, Mione!," He exclaimed as her cheeks flushed pink.

"I found out that Michael had some anger issues a few months before, and when he figured out what Severus and I had done, he lashed out," Hermione continued awkwardly as Hagrid's mouth fell agape.

"What der yer mean, lashed out?," He exclaimed gruffly as Hermione flinched slightly at his sudden outburst of anger.

"He struck me, and he called me a who're," Hermione replied shakily as she squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment.

Hagrid gasped again as anger, and sadness flashed in his eyes.

"What did Severus do?," He asked inquiringly in trepidation. He secretly hoped that Severus did defend her.

"Oh, you should have seen him, Hagrid!He was so protective. I've never seen him so angry in my life, and when he healed me, he was so gentle," Hermione gushed in awe as she lightly touched the spot on her left cheek where Michael had hit her.

Hagrid mentally sighed in relief.

"That was the same night he offered to resign, of course I didn't take it right away, I-, I wasn't even sure what we were, I wanted to know what we were getting ourselves into before I said yes. Severus hasn't left my side since," Hermione admitted thoughtfully before grinning broadly.

"So here we are," She beamed as Hagrid smiled warmly at her.

"I'm happy fer ya, Mione, you both deserve it, and I know ya will do an amazin' job, there ain't nothin' yer can't do," He said in a kind voice as they entered another clearing, and they spotted the heard of unicorns.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Hermione murmured sweetly as she squeezed his hand before turning to the wild horses in awe.

"There," Hagrid quietly pointed out as the baby and its mother walked into veiw.

Hermione gasped softly in admiration. Watching, as it tried to keep up with its mother before sticking its head under her belly to find its food.

Hermione chorted.

"They're beautiful," She intoned as she stared at them in wonderment.

"Would yer like to pet him?," Hagrid asked curiously as Hermione's snapped up to look at him in slight surprise.

"Um, what about it's mother, he was just born, wasn't he?," Hermione replied nervously like a shy little girl.

"Nah, unicorns can be protective, but theys never get aggressive," Hagrid stated quite surely as he began making his way over to them. Only to stop when he noticed Hermione hadn't followed.

"Come on," He encouraged as Hermione slowly, and anxiously approached him. She felt like she was in his class again as they slowly approached the mother and her young colt.

"Alright, now slowly stick yer hand out, an' let her smell ya," Hagrid instructed quietly as the mother eyed them suspiciously.

Hermione took a deep breath before she slowly held out her hand to the mother.

"Stay calm," He said. "They can sense yer emotions, and intentions. They're excellent judges of character," He added warningly as Hermione shifted slightly before smiling kindly at the mother as she slowly approached with her baby on her heels.

"Hello," Hermione murmured softly as

She came closer, and her snout brushed lightly against Hermione's fingers.

Hermione smiled lovingly at the animal before she gently nuzzled her snout into Hermione's hand.

"Well done, Mione," Hagrid whispered proudly as Hermione laughed softly while she began to stroke the mother's nose, and head. Admiring her golden horn.

Then she turned to the colt. Who was watching her curiously as it tilt its head to the side. Then stumbled a bit because of its own weight. Hermione chortled as its mum snorted at it while her ears flicked forward.

The colt straightened back up as he itched closer to Hermione's out stretched hand.

"It's alright, I am not going to hurt you," Hermione cooed in a gentle tone as it came closer while gazing curiously into Hermione's loving eyes.

"That's it," She breathed when it's snout was less than an inch from her hand.

It smelled her, then it swiftly rubbed it's head against her arm. She laughed happily as she stroked its maine as it continued to nuzzle against her arm. Careful not to jab her with its horn.

Hagrid beamed in adoration.

They stayed for a little bit longer before they eventually started to make their way through the forest, and back up the long path to the castle.

"Are yer sure everythin' is alright with yer an' Severus," Hagrid asked worriedly as they marched up the hill to the castle.

Hermione glanced up at him in surprise and confusion.

"Yes, why?," She asked curiously as she her knitted eyebrows together.

"Its just..I noticed he was a bit tense in there," Hagrid remarked awkwardly as he cleared his thoat with a cough.

"Oh, um, no, we're fine," Hermione blushed as she chortled sheepishly.

"I told Minerva some things earlier during tea, and... Severus is just dying to know what it is, so I'm slightly torturing him," She explained with a smug grin.

Hagrid chuckled.

"Ya got guts, Mione," He declared patently as he nodded his head at her. Her grin grew wider as they pushed their way through the grand oak doors.

They entered the entrance hall at the same time that Albus, and Minerva were exiting the great hall. They smiled as they stopped to greet them.

"Hello, you two, enjoy your walk?, unicorns are precious creatures aren't they?," Albus spoke cheerfully.

"Yes, they are, thank you," Hermione replied kindly as she smiled at Hagrid.

"Have you seen Severus?," She asked curiously as she turned to Minerva.

She nodded.

"He left the great hall almost an hour ago, billowing and everything," Minerva replied with a small knowing smile at Hermione.

Hermione smirked.

"Well, I suppose I better go check on the big baby," Hermione remarked jokingly before nodding at them. Then she made her way down into the dungeons as she heard them laughing in the distance.

She hesitated when she reached the door to their private quarters. Wondering how furious he actually was. " _Oh well,"_ She thought. " _I've come too far to turn back now,"_ She grinned as she slowly turned the door handle and crept in to see Severus reading a book on the sofa.

She quietly closed the door behind her. Then ever so carefully, she tip toed into the room.

"Stop," Severus suddenly spoke from behind his book as she froze in her tracks.

" _Shit,"_ Hermione swore mentally. Closing her eyes for a second before preparing herself for his wrath.

He marked his page in his book before setting it down, and slowly turning to face her. Leaning back against the couch as he eyed her with his stern gaze.

"Do you have something you want to say to me, Severus?," She smirked knowingly. She couldn't stop now. She was in too deep.

Severus's eye's widened slightly. Then he narrowed his eye's at her as she slowly began to approach him. Her eye's gleamed wickedly, and he knew. He was in way over his head.

She approached the edge of the couch and slowly lowered herself down onto his lap as she straddled him with both of her legs on either side of him.

Severus snarled at her, and tensed when she dug her hips into his waist.

"Why are you so tense, baby," She cooed with a sad pouty face as she placed both her hands on his chest.

"You know why," Severus growled as she played with one of the buttons on his frock coat.

She laughed wickedly before she slowly started to unbutton her blouse. But she only had the chance to undo one before she was suddenly flipped over on her back, and her hands were held above her head.

"I demand to know what you told her," Severus declared gruffly as Hermione smirked at him.

"I'm serious, Hermione, you've had your fun," He warned as she squirmed beneath him.

"What, did, you, tell, her?," Severus slowly inquired.

"Fine, I only told her that you were amazing," Hermione huffed as Severus narrowed his eyes at her.

"Incredible..might have slipped out," She murmured as she chewed on her lip.

Severus sighed heavily before raising his eyebrow at her with a mischievous smirk.

"You truly think that I am incredible?," He intoned playfully in a silky voice.

"No, I think you are a god, but I wasn't allowed to tell the truth," Hermione replied wittily with a smug smirk.

Severus raised his eyebrows at her bluntness before slowly dropping his mischievous gaze to her unbuttoned blouse.

"Is that so," He whispered amorously as he brought one of his hands down to slowly undo the rest of the buttons on her shirt.

"Mhmm," Hermione hummed seductively as she hitched her back upwards when he pushed her shirt apart.

Severus smirked as he leaned down to lay a tender kiss on her chest before slowly trailing his tongue down between her breasts as she let out a soft moan. Then with a quick wave of his wand, he blocked the floo, and casted a silencing charm on their quarters.

After that he began to trail his hands down her body. He gently squeezed her breasts before Stopping at her hips to feel how perfect they fit in his hands. He parted her legs, and begun to fervently trail more kisses down her stomach, to her waistline as she continued to moan in content.

With another wave of his wand, Hermione realized that she was naked from the waist down, and her eye's widened in surprise as he smirked wickedly at her.

Then he wrapped his arms under her legs. Lifting her up a little before leaning down to brush his tongue in between her clit. Hermione gasped as a moan escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, and her moaning only got louder the further he got. He traced circles with his tongue. Growling as he did so which only made her moan louder.

She hitched her hips forward as he squeezed her thigh, and she shook moments later when that feeling took over her body. Severus pulled away from her a few seconds later as she tried to compose herself but her breathing was erratic. She'd never felt that before. It was heaven.

He waved his wand to clean her up before crawling down on top of her.

"What did you say I was?," He breathed silkily with a smirk. Even though he knew.

Hermione chortled in complete bliss. Her eye's still closed.

"You're a god," She murmured breathlessly as he leaned down to kiss her neck.

Hermione wrapped her arms and legs around him. Kissing him fiercely as he swiftly stood up with her in his arms. She moaned into his mouth when he tightened his grasp on her arse as he carried her to their room.

They were in ecstasy all night.

 ** _(A/N Well chapter six is done! Sorry its really long! It is definitely for mature readers lol but I hoped you all liked it! They're still very much in the honeymoon phase lol I'd hate to give spoilers but they're about to get a big surprise!..._**

 ** _I love Hagrid and Hermione's friendship. it is so sweet:) I changed the font, so I hope that make's you all happy, and easier for you to read. Please review if you liked it! If not, then don't. No bother to me. I'll have chapter 7 up as soon as I can. So in the meantime, I have two other stories in the making, so don't be afraid to go check them out!_**

 ** _Thank you for reading! Till next time! Byeeee!)_**

 ** _(To be continued...)_**


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